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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mug · fan · craft · scale · perch · fall · cabinet · ruler

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. mug — a face
  3. fall — to drop
  4. craft — a skill
  5. scale — size or range
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. perch — the fish
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. mug — to rob
  11. scale — in music
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. craft — boats
  16. fall — the season
  17. mug — a cup
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. fall — to drop
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. perch — for a bird

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