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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.

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: perch · track · bank · wound · stem · can · straw · arm

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. can — to be able to
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bank — for money
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. can — a tin
  10. track — a path
  11. stem — to come from
  12. wound — an injury
  13. track — to keep track
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bank — for money
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. can — a tin
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. perch — the fish
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bank — of a river

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