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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 · rush · racket · spell · cabinet · perch · wound · mug

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. perch — the fish
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. spell — magic
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. spell — a short time
  11. mug — a cup
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — to rob
  15. spell — letters
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rush — hurry
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wound — an injury

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