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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: straw · rush · bore · season · drill · perch · sharp · lean

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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 — the fish
  2. season — in sport
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bore — to drill
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. season — of the year
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. drill — the tool
  17. sharp — clever
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. rush — hurry
  20. drill — army training
  21. bore — to tire
  22. drill — a practice
  23. sharp — exactly
  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