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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: fork · perch · can · rush · patient · fan · temple · mine

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. can — to be able to
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fork — in a road
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. can — a tin
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mine — for digging
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. can — a tin
  24. mine — an explosive

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