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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: mug · rest · last · fan · fine · perch · bore · rush

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. mug — to rob
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fine — all right
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bore — to tire
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. last — finally
  14. last — final
  15. fine — high quality
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mug — a face
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mug — a cup

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