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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · temple · roll · perch · calf · spring · date · nail

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. roll — a list
  4. perch — the fish
  5. roll — a cake
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. fall — to drop
  9. date — the fruit
  10. fall — the season
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. spring — a coil
  13. fall — to drop
  14. spring — of water
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. spring — the season
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com