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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
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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: kid · sharp · bass · rush · ruler · craft · perch · clip

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rush — hurry
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. clip — to cut
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bass — the fish
  15. kid — child
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — for paper
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bass — low music
  20. sharp — clever
  21. kid — to tease
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. perch — for a bird

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