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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.

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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: rush · cabinet · lean · toast · game · fan · prune · perch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. lean — thin
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. toast — bread
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. game — wild animals
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lean — to bend
  23. game — a match
  24. rush — to hurry

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