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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 120 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: mark · stick · pitcher · file · sharp · spring · cell · perch

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. file — a document
  6. cell — a phone
  7. spring — a coil
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. file — a tool
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. perch — the fish
  12. spring — of water
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. file — a line of people
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. spring — the season
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mark — a trace
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. pitcher — a jug

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