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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. row — to paddle
  6. sharp — clever
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. game — wild animals
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — music
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. dip — to sink
  18. perch — the fish
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. row — a line
  22. game — a match
  23. rock — a stone
  24. perch — for a bird

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