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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cap · perch · saw · pitcher · temple · wake · leaves · row

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cap — of ice
  5. wake — a trail
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. cap — a lid
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. cap — a hat
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. perch — the fish
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. saw — the tool
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. row — to paddle
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. row — a quarrel

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