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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: saw · face · lean · bowl · squash · fan · coach · perch

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. perch — the fish
  3. lean — to bend
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. lean — thin
  8. squash — the sport
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. face — part of the head
  11. saw — the tool
  12. face — to point toward
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. saw — the tool
  18. squash — to crush
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. face — to confront
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — a dish

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