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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.

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: perch · shower · wax · chair · rush · fork · fan · stem

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. rush — hurry
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. shower — to wash
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. chair — a leader
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — rain
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — to come from
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. wax — to grow
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. perch — the fish
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. fork — in a road
  24. wax — in the ear

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