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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: fall · season · craft · mouse · perch · sharp · hide · stick

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. season — in sport
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — a skill
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. sharp — clever
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. perch — the fish
  16. craft — boats
  17. season — of the year
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. sharp — with an edge

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