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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 · pit · tear · rash · temple · mouse · pass · spell

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. spell — magic
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pit — in a race
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. perch — the fish
  15. rash — a series
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pit — a hole
  19. rash — hasty
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. spell — letters

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