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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 · craft · cold · temple · swing · wax · cabinet · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. craft — boats
  11. swing — in golf
  12. craft — a skill
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. wax — to grow
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bound — obliged
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bound — tied together
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. swing — music
  23. cold — an illness
  24. wax — in the ear

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