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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 · jam · tear · spell · perch · arm · lean · toast

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. spell — a short time
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — to bend
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. sharp — clever
  11. lean — thin
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. spell — letters
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. spell — magic
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. tear — from crying
  20. toast — bread
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. tear — from crying
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. tear — to rip

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