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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.

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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: toast · hand · roll · bark · firm · fan · lean · perch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. firm — steady
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. roll — a list
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. lean — thin
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. firm — a company
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. toast — bread
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. hand — help
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a cake
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — to bend
  19. firm — decided
  20. bark — to shout
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. hand — in cards
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. hand — part of the body

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