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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 116 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: fork · tube · kid · leaves · row · lie · fan · perch

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. row — a line
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. kid — to tease
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. kid — child
  18. tube — the underground
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. tube — a container
  21. lie — to recline
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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