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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: perch · game · dip · leaves · safe · mouse · temple · present

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. perch — the fish
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. present — the time now
  5. game — a match
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. game — wild animals
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. dip — to sink
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — there
  24. leaves — of a tree

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