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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: bank · field · prune · straw · sharp · bound · perch · wax

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — for sport
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. sharp — clever
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bank — for money
  14. bound — certain
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — to grow
  18. field — farmland
  19. prune — to trim
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. perch — the fish
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bound — tied together

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