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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 · perch · stand · rash · swing · sharp · bay · temple

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. swing — in golf
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. rash — a series
  9. sharp — clever
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. perch — the fish
  13. stand — to bear
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. swing — music
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rash — hasty

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