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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: perch · craft · stand · branch · nail · foot · straw · key

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. branch — a division
  7. stand — to bear
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. key — for a lock
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. key — the most important part
  13. craft — boats
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. key — in music
  16. craft — a skill
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — a measure
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. perch — the fish

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