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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: can · face · calf · fan · pound · bulb · perch · land

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. can — to be able to
  3. face — to point toward
  4. perch — the fish
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. land — to come down
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. can — a tin
  9. pound — a weight
  10. face — part of the head
  11. can — a tin
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. land — a country
  18. face — to confront
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. land — ground
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bulb — for light

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