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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.

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
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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: perch · tube · fan · bear · wind · drill · row · firm

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. row — a line
  4. tube — a container
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wind — moving air
  11. tube — the underground
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. firm — a company
  15. drill — a practice
  16. firm — decided
  17. drill — army training
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. row — to paddle
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. drill — the tool
  22. firm — steady
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. wind — moving air

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