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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: rock · chest · mate · perch · bear · roll · sharp · saw

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. saw — the tool
  3. roll — a cake
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. mate — a partner
  7. rock — music
  8. perch — the fish
  9. saw — the tool
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mate — to breed
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bear — the animal
  14. roll — a list
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bear — the animal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mate — a friend
  22. rock — a stone
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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