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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: sharp · rash · charge · tube · straw · foot · deal · perch

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rash — a series
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. rash — hasty
  7. tube — the underground
  8. perch — the fish
  9. foot — a measure
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. tube — a container
  12. charge — a price
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. charge — electricity
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. charge — in control
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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