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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: perch · cap · deal · hand · sharp · hide · saw · ruler

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. sharp — clever
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cap — of ice
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. deal — to handle
  14. perch — the fish
  15. hand — help
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cap — a hat
  18. saw — the tool
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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