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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.

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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: perch · fan · bass · bay · rest · temple · row · calf

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a line
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bass — the fish
  20. rest — a break
  21. perch — the fish
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bass — low music
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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