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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 116 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 · wake · bore · straw · fan · mug · band · wave

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. mug — to rob
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. band — a music group
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. perch — the fish
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. band — a ring
  15. mug — a face
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bore — to tire
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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