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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: wound · scale · perch · pitcher · race · lean · straw · drill

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. drill — the tool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wound — an injury
  5. drill — a practice
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. drill — army training
  9. scale — size or range
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. race — humankind
  13. wound — an injury
  14. race — the arms race
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lean — thin
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. race — a contest
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. scale — in music
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. lean — to bend
  24. straw — a straw man

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