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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: perch · bank · ground · lie · bound · straw · spell · coach

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. ground — a position
  3. bank — of a river
  4. perch — the fish
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bound — tied together
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bank — for money
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. spell — letters
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. lie — to recline
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. spell — magic
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bank — for money

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