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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lie · game · present · staff · sharp · wake · perch · file

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. staff — employees
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. file — a line of people
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wake — a trail
  8. lie — to recline
  9. perch — the fish
  10. game — a match
  11. file — a document
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. sharp — clever
  17. staff — a stick
  18. present — the time now
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. game — wild animals
  21. file — a tool
  22. present — there
  23. staff — employees
  24. present — a gift

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