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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 120 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: fan · season · bore · perch · lash · stand · pound · rest

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pound — a weight
  10. season — in sport
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. rest — a break
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bore — to tire
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. season — of the year
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bore — to drill
  24. rest — what's left

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