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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.

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 · clip · object · game · vault · saw · lean · perch

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. saw — the tool
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. game — a match
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. object — a thing
  9. lean — thin
  10. object — to protest
  11. perch — the fish
  12. clip — for paper
  13. object — an aim
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — to cut
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. game — wild animals
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — a safe
  23. lean — to bend
  24. saw — the tool

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