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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.

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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 · firm · cold · date · fine · coach · wind · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — high quality
  5. wind — moving air
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. wind — moving air
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. firm — decided
  11. fine — all right
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cold — an illness
  14. cold — not warm
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. perch — the fish
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — steady
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. date — the fruit
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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