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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fall — the season
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. root — the cause
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. roll — a cake
  11. craft — a skill
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. roll — a list
  17. craft — boats
  18. root — of a plant
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. fall — to drop
  21. root — of a word
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fall — to drop
  24. perch — the fish

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