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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 116 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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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: bear · perch · bay · squash · present · fork · lash · sharp

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bear — the animal
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bear — the animal
  7. squash — the sport
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. present — there
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. present — a gift
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. present — the time now
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. sharp — clever
  24. perch — the fish

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