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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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 · content · squash · straw · key · bat · can · plane

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. content — happy
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. squash — the sport
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. plane — a tool
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. key — for a lock
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bat — the animal
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. key — in music
  16. can — a tin
  17. content — the amount
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. can — a tin
  21. key — the most important part
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. can — to be able to
  24. straw — dry grass

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