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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 120 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: fan · bulb · trunk · lean · row · perch · foot · stick

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lean — thin
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. row — a line
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. foot — a measure
  13. lean — to bend
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. perch — the fish
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bulb — for light
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. row — to paddle

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