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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: game · bore · row · leaves · rush · sharp · bear · perch

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. sharp — clever
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. game — a match
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bear — the animal
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bore — to tire
  12. row — a line
  13. bear — the animal
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bore — to drill
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. game — wild animals
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. sharp — with an edge

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