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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mug — a face
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. mug — a cup
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. shower — to wash
  9. perch — the fish
  10. shower — rain
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mug — to rob
  19. roll — a cake
  20. branch — a division
  21. present — a gift
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — exactly

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