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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: straw · bear · squash · perch · key · fine · staff · wind

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wind — moving air
  4. fine — high quality
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bear — the animal
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. staff — a stick
  10. squash — the sport
  11. perch — the fish
  12. fine — all right
  13. staff — employees
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. squash — to crush
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. staff — employees
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. wind — moving air
  24. key — for a lock

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