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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
468
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: mate · hand · perch · craft · file · sharp · pit · lean

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a hole
  3. perch — the fish
  4. lean — to bend
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a document
  7. mate — a friend
  8. file — a line of people
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. hand — help
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. lean — thin
  17. mate — a partner
  18. sharp — clever
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — boats
  22. hand — in cards
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mate — to breed

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