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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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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: file · safe · pound · perch · bank · straw · date · press

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. press — newspapers
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bank — of a river
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. file — a document
  12. perch — the fish
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bank — for money
  15. press — a publisher
  16. date — the fruit
  17. press — to push
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. file — a tool
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bank — for money
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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