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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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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: pound · perch · fan · lean · sharp · kick · stem · rush

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. kick — in football
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. lean — thin
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. lean — to bend
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. rush — hurry
  21. stem — to come from
  22. sharp — clever
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. rush — a thrill

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