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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: cap · bowl · staff · mug · perch · sharp · spell · rush

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rush — hurry
  4. spell — a short time
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. spell — magic
  10. cap — a hat
  11. perch — the fish
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mug — a face
  17. staff — employees
  18. spell — letters
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. mug — to rob
  21. cap — a lid
  22. sharp — clever
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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