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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: craft · toast · wave · fall · game · roll · perch · sharp

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. fall — the season
  3. game — wild animals
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. fall — to drop
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. sharp — clever
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — a cake
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — a match
  17. craft — a skill
  18. toast — bread
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. perch — the fish
  22. craft — boats
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. roll — on a roll

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