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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: fan · bear · nail · foot · leaves · perch · date · wake

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. date — the fruit
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. foot — a measure
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. perch — the fish
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. date — on the calendar

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