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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: last · mug · temple · field · perch · bark · saw · rock

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bark — to shout
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — final
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. field — a subject
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. last — finally
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. perch — the fish
  17. saw — the tool
  18. field — for sport
  19. saw — the tool
  20. field — farmland
  21. rock — music
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mug — to rob

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