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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: arm · ground · straw · perch · content · bound · mug · bank

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. ground — crushed
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bank — for money
  11. ground — a position
  12. mug — a face
  13. content — happy
  14. perch — the fish
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bound — obliged
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mug — a cup
  20. ground — the earth
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. content — the amount
  24. mug — to rob

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