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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: present · bear · date · lean · wake · row · perch · land

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. row — to paddle
  4. date — the fruit
  5. land — a country
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bear — the animal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. present — the time now
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. land — ground
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. wake — a trail
  16. perch — the fish
  17. row — a line
  18. land — to come down
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. present — there
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wake — before a funeral

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