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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: land · perch · cap · plane · lash · temple · press · bear

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. land — a country
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bear — the animal
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. cap — a lid
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bear — the animal
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — ground
  16. press — to push
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. press — a publisher
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. plane — a tool

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