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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: firm · perch · calf · safe · bat · cold · straw · bass

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cold — an illness
  5. bass — the fish
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bat — the animal
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. firm — a company
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. firm — decided
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bass — low music
  21. firm — steady
  22. cold — not warm
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bass — the instrument

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