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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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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: chest · straw · perch · lash · pound · safe · suit · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pound — a weight
  3. perch — the fish
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. suit — in cards
  7. chest — of your body
  8. suit — to fit
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. suit — clothes
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. ground — crushed
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. chest — of your body
  17. ground — the earth
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. chest — a box

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