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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: straw · temple · perch · pop · firm · lean · mate · stick

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. perch — the fish
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mate — a partner
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pop — soda
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mate — to breed
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. firm — steady
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pop — music
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pop — to visit
  21. firm — a company
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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