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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
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: perch · fan · pop · arm · rock · cold · bank · dip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rock — music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pop — soda
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cold — an illness
  7. rock — a stone
  8. perch — the fish
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bank — of a river
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — music
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bank — for money
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bank — for money
  24. fan — a supporter

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