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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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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: land · clip · mouse · wave · straw · perch · object · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — ground
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. object — a thing
  9. clip — for paper
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. object — an aim
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. land — a country
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. object — to protest
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. clip — a video
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. clip — to cut
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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