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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.

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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 · present · hide · lean · race · pitch · rest · perch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. race — the arms race
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. race — humankind
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — thin
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. present — the time now
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. race — a contest
  17. present — a gift
  18. perch — the fish
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. lean — to bend
  22. present — there
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pitch — completely

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