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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 · present · perch · foot · patient · bass · bark · lean

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. present — the time now
  11. bass — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bass — low music
  16. bark — to shout
  17. present — there
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. lean — to bend
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. present — a gift

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