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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: mug · object · lean · squash · perch · shower · toast · sharp

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. object — an aim
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mug — a cup
  5. object — to protest
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. object — a thing
  10. mug — to rob
  11. sharp — clever
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. perch — the fish
  15. squash — the sport
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. mug — a face
  18. lean — thin
  19. shower — to wash
  20. squash — to crush
  21. lean — to bend
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. shower — rain

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