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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: sharp · squash · last · bore · cue · dip · perch · deal

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. perch — the fish
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. cue — for pool
  5. last — to go on
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. squash — to crush
  8. dip — to sink
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cue — a signal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. squash — the sport
  13. last — finally
  14. last — final
  15. sharp — clever
  16. cue — a hint
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bore — to drill
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. dip — a sauce

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