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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: row · temple · mark · clip · bound · nail · perch · straw

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bound — certain
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bound — obliged
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. clip — a video
  12. bound — tied together
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. row — to paddle
  16. clip — for paper
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. mark — a trace
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. row — a line
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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