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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: perch · craft · lie · sharp · hand · squash · firm · stand

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. hand — help
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. squash — the sport
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stand — to bear
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. firm — decided
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. lie — to recline
  15. firm — steady
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. firm — a company
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. hand — in cards
  20. squash — to crush
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. sharp — clever

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