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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.

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: perch · bulb · leaves · hide · pitcher · ball · sharp · dip

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bulb — for light
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bulb — for light
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. ball — a great time
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. ball — a dance
  21. sharp — clever
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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