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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.

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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: temple · fork · mug · perch · fall · rash · root · stick

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mug — to rob
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fall — to drop
  6. root — of a plant
  7. fork — in a road
  8. mug — a cup
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. fall — to drop
  11. perch — the fish
  12. mug — a face
  13. fall — the season
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rash — a series
  18. root — of a word
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. root — the cause
  24. temple — side of the head

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