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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.

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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: bear · sharp · cap · rest · lean · chip · perch · rock

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. lean — to bend
  4. sharp — clever
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rock — music
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rock — a stone
  11. cap — of ice
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. lean — thin
  15. chip — to eat
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — a lid
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. chip — for betting
  24. lean — to rest against

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