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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 120 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 · spring · fine · scale · can · safe · bore · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. can — to be able to
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bore — to drill
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. fine — high quality
  7. can — a tin
  8. spring — of water
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. spring — a coil
  11. can — a tin
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. fine — all right
  18. bore — to tire
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. spring — the season
  24. fine — a penalty

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