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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: patient · perch · racket · rush · can · object · sharp · trunk

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. sharp — clever
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. can — a tin
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. object — a thing
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. can — to be able to
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rush — hurry
  18. can — a tin
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. object — an aim
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. object — to protest
  24. patient — a sick person

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