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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: chip · bore · land · perch · season · temple · scale · lie

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. lie — to recline
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. scale — in music
  10. land — a country
  11. land — to come down
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. season — of the year
  14. perch — the fish
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bore — to tire
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. scale — size or range
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — for betting

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