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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: craft · sharp · lash · pop · saw · staff · perch · land

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. craft — a skill
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. land — to come down
  7. perch — the fish
  8. staff — a stick
  9. pop — to visit
  10. craft — boats
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pop — music
  13. land — ground
  14. pop — soda
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. staff — employees
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. staff — employees
  24. land — a country

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