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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: dip · wax · coach · fan · march · perch · row · racket

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. perch — the fish
  7. wax — to grow
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. dip — to sink
  11. march — the month
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. march — the month
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. march — music
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a line
  23. coach — a trainer
  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