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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: rush · calf · straw · pitcher · plane · fall · sharp · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. rush — hurry
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. plane — a tool
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. sharp — clever
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. sharp — with an edge

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