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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
468
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: can · stand · perch · straw · wake · fine · staff · bark

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. perch — the fish
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. stand — to bear
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. can — a tin
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — to shout
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wake — a trail
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. can — a tin
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. fine — all right
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. can — to be able to
  21. staff — employees
  22. fine — high quality
  23. staff — employees
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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