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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.

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: present · straw · can · hide · clip · perch · bass · scale

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. present — the time now
  7. bass — low music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. present — a gift
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. can — a tin
  12. scale — in music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. can — to be able to
  15. clip — to cut
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. can — a tin
  18. perch — the fish
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — for paper
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. present — there
  24. scale — for weighing

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