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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: fan · object · capital · file · perch · wake · suit · rush

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. perch — the fish
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. object — to protest
  5. rush — hurry
  6. suit — to fit
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. file — a document
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. file — a tool
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. capital — a city
  19. suit — in cards
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. capital — money
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. fan — to cool the air

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