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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: perch · wake · fan · pop · rush · calf · bulb · kid

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pop — to visit
  9. wake — a trail
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rush — hurry
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pop — soda
  15. bulb — for light
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. kid — child
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pop — music
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. calf — a young animal

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