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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · squash · perch · arm · wake · date · fan · row

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bear — the animal
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. squash — to crush
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. row — to paddle
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. row — a line
  13. squash — the sport
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wake — a trail
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fan — a supporter

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