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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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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: lean · stock · club · sharp · perch · rush · vault · straw

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. club — for dancing
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. club — a group
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. lean — to bend
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. club — for golf
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. rush — hurry
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. vault — a safe
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. stock — goods
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stock — shares
  23. sharp — clever
  24. lean — thin

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