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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.

Make a worksheet

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
YesNo
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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: fan · rush · chair · craft · object · mark · perch · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. object — to protest
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — boats
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. perch — the fish
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. mark — a grade
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rush — hurry
  16. craft — a skill
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. object — an aim
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. root — the cause
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. mark — a trace
  23. object — a thing
  24. chair — a leader

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