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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: march · wake · perch · key · present · squash · fall · sharp

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. key — in music
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. squash — the sport
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — there
  10. key — the most important part
  11. march — the month
  12. present — a gift
  13. key — for a lock
  14. march — the month
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. fall — to drop
  17. sharp — clever
  18. fall — the season
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. march — music
  21. fall — to drop
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — to crush
  24. perch — for a bird

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