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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: mug · stand · sharp · trunk · leaves · rest · can · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stand — to bear
  3. perch — the fish
  4. rest — what's left
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — clever
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. mug — a face
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a cup
  18. can — a tin
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. rest — a break
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. rest — what's left

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