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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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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: tear · straw · swing · perch · pound · firm

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. tear — to rip
  3. firm — steady
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. swing — music
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. swing — in golf
  10. tear — from crying
  11. perch — the fish
  12. tear — from crying
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. swing — to play on
  16. firm — decided
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. firm — a company

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