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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: fan · object · track · cell · perch · leaves · staff · coach

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. cell — in biology
  3. track — to keep track
  4. perch — the fish
  5. cell — a phone
  6. object — to protest
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. object — an aim
  9. staff — employees
  10. track — a path
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. staff — a stick
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. track — a song
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. object — a thing
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. leaves — to go away

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