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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: bark · charge · rash · firm · perch · rush · field · straw

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. rush — hurry
  3. firm — steady
  4. rash — hasty
  5. firm — a company
  6. charge — in control
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. charge — electricity
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. field — a subject
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. charge — a price
  15. field — for sport
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. firm — decided
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. perch — the fish
  20. field — farmland
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. rash — a series
  24. perch — for a bird

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