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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: perch · mate · hand · date · fan · plane · fine · rock

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. hand — help
  6. mate — a partner
  7. rock — a stone
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. date — the fruit
  13. mate — a friend
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. hand — in cards
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. mate — to breed
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. plane — a tool
  22. rock — music
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. fine — all right

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