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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
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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 · pit · fan · calf · present · lean · cap · mine

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. present — there
  3. lean — thin
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cap — of ice
  8. lean — to bend
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pit — a hole
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. present — a gift
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mine — for digging
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — a lid
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. present — the time now

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