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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 116 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: sharp · coach · lie · snap · rest · perch · row · mug

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — to paddle
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. rest — a break
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mug — a face
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rest — what's left
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. perch — the fish
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lie — to recline
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mug — a cup
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mug — to rob
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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