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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 · bulb · patient · fan · face · perch · rest · firm

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. perch — the fish
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. face — to confront
  12. rush — hurry
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bulb — for light
  15. firm — a company
  16. bulb — for light
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rest — what's left
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rest — a break
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — decided
  24. fan — to cool the air

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