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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wound · safe · march · stock · straw · perch · net · dip

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. march — music
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. net — for catching
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. dip — to sink
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. march — the month
  14. perch — the fish
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. stock — goods
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. stock — shares
  21. wound — an injury
  22. march — the month
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. straw — dry grass

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