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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 120 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: wave · land · key · sharp · perch · bank · straw · chip

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. key — in music
  5. bank — for money
  6. sharp — clever
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bank — of a river
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bank — for money
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. land — ground
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — a country
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. wave — of the sea

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