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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: ground · perch · arm · craft · fan · clip · temple · wake

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. wake — a trail
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. ground — a position
  8. clip — for paper
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. ground — the earth
  11. perch — the fish
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. clip — a video
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. ground — crushed
  20. craft — boats
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. clip — to cut
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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