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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: firm · foot · perch · key · straw · hand · bowl · branch

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. firm — steady
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. perch — the fish
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. foot — a measure
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. firm — decided
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. branch — a division
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. key — in music
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. key — the most important part
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. key — for a lock
  21. firm — a company
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. hand — in cards

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