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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.

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 · degree · lean · perch · fine · craft · mouse · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. lean — thin
  5. fine — high quality
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. perch — the fish
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. fine — all right
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. degree — temperature
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. craft — a skill
  18. firm — a company
  19. craft — boats
  20. lean — to bend
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — from a university
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. firm — decided

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