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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
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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 · staff · lean · rash · perch · mouse · file · sharp

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. file — a line of people
  4. lean — to bend
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. staff — employees
  11. file — a tool
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. sharp — clever
  14. staff — employees
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. lean — thin
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. file — a document
  24. staff — a stick

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