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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: lash · band · leaves · staff · wound · straw · perch · safe

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wound — an injury
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. staff — employees
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. wound — an injury
  8. band — a music group
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. staff — a stick
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. lash — an eyelash

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