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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: lash · perch · firm · fan · cell · stand · pop · face

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stand — to bear
  3. firm — steady
  4. pop — to visit
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. cell — a phone
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. cell — in biology
  11. firm — decided
  12. face — to confront
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. perch — the fish
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. firm — a company
  17. pop — music
  18. face — to point toward
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. face — part of the head
  21. pop — soda
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. cell — in a prison

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