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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: pass · straw · roll · perch · fan · present · tube · rush

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. roll — a cake
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pass — a permit
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. tube — the underground
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. rush — hurry
  14. present — the time now
  15. perch — the fish
  16. present — there
  17. present — a gift
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. roll — a list
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. tube — a container
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. fan — a supporter

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