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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 · bound · pop · calf · rule · track · temple · drill

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. track — a song
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bound — obliged
  8. perch — the fish
  9. drill — a practice
  10. pop — soda
  11. rule — government
  12. bound — certain
  13. track — to keep track
  14. drill — the tool
  15. pop — music
  16. drill — army training
  17. track — a path
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bound — tied together
  20. rule — a law
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. calf — a young animal

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