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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · perch · rush · chair · snap · court · prune · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rush — hurry
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. snap — to click
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. court — of a king
  16. chair — a leader
  17. court — of law
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. court — for sport
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. rush — to hurry

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