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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: mug · hand · perch · mark · staff · straw

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mug — a cup
  7. hand — in cards
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mug — to rob
  11. hand — help
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mug — a face
  14. staff — employees
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. perch — the fish
  17. mark — a trace
  18. straw — to clutch at straws

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