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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 116 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: calf · straw · land · rest · present · perch · fan · fall

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. land — ground
  3. perch — the fish
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. rest — a break
  6. fall — the season
  7. present — there
  8. land — a country
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. land — to come down
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fall — to drop
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rest — what's left
  21. present — a gift
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rest — what's left
  24. perch — for a bird

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