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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 116 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: rest · game · kick · press · rash · perch · fine · sharp

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a match
  6. kick — in football
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — a publisher
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fine — high quality
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rest — a break
  23. press — to push
  24. fine — all right

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