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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.

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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: wound · stick · lean · straw · perch · foot · nail · stock

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. perch — the fish
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lean — thin
  13. stock — shares
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lean — to bend
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — the bottom
  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