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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: perch · chest · ruler · rash · mark · field · fan · leaves

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. chest — a box
  4. rash — a series
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. rash — hasty
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. field — a subject
  18. perch — the fish
  19. field — farmland
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mark — a grade
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. field — for sport

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