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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fall · perch · mouse · temple · key · scale · file · field

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. file — a tool
  3. field — a subject
  4. file — a line of people
  5. key — the most important part
  6. scale — in music
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fall — to drop
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. field — farmland
  12. key — for a lock
  13. perch — the fish
  14. scale — size or range
  15. key — in music
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. field — for sport
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. fall — the season
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. file — a document
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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