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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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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: dip · straw · ruler · sharp · rest · charge · perch · march

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — clever
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. charge — in control
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. march — music
  17. charge — a price
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. charge — electricity
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rest — what's left

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