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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 116 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
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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: perch · pop · fan · rule · straw · hide

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rule — a law
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pop — music
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. rule — government

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