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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: game · spell · sharp · file · safe · perch · arm · dip

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. dip — to sink
  8. game — wild animals
  9. spell — magic
  10. sharp — clever
  11. spell — a short time
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. file — a document
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. spell — letters
  17. game — a match
  18. perch — the fish
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. file — a tool

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