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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: dip · fan · track · rock · arm · perch · last · rash

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. dip — to sink
  3. track — a path
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. last — final
  9. rock — music
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rash — a series
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. rock — a stone
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — finally
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — on the skin

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