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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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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 · toast · fine · shower · bat · bank · cap · temple

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — bread
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bank — for money
  11. shower — rain
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bank — for money
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cap — of ice
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — to wash
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. fine — all right
  24. bank — of a river

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