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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: wave · fine · field · fan · calf · bore · perch · row

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bore — to tire
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. field — a subject
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — all right
  14. perch — the fish
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. field — for sport
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bore — to drill
  23. row — a line
  24. field — farmland

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