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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: perch · bound · press · nail · stick · craft · fork · straw

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bound — certain
  3. press — to push
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — boats
  7. bound — obliged
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. fork — in a road
  11. press — a publisher
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bound — tied together
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. perch — the fish
  17. press — newspapers
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. craft — a skill
  24. nail — for a hammer

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