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

Word bank: perch · cap · chair · file · lie · wave · sharp · fork

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. fork — in a road
  5. file — a line of people
  6. cap — a lid
  7. perch — the fish
  8. chair — a leader
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. cap — of ice
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. sharp — clever
  15. cap — a hat
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. lie — to recline
  21. file — a document
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. chair — to sit on

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