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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: row · fan · chair · perch · toast · lash · coach · wound

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. wound — an injury
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — a leader
  10. row — a line
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. row — to paddle
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. wound — an injury
  24. perch — for a bird

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