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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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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: perch · fall · club · temple · face · ground · coach · dip

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fall — to drop
  4. face — to confront
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. ground — the earth
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. face — part of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. club — for dancing
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — a position
  15. club — a group
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. club — for golf
  18. dip — to sink
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. fall — the season
  23. face — to point toward
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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