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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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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: file · snap · foot · rest · perch · sharp · craft · straw

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. craft — a skill
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. foot — a measure
  8. file — a tool
  9. rest — what's left
  10. snap — to click
  11. perch — the fish
  12. file — a line of people
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. rest — what's left
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. file — a document
  22. craft — boats
  23. rest — a break
  24. perch — for a bird

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