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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: bulb · straw · band · fall · perch · plane · ball · pop

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. ball — a great time
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. pop — music
  11. band — a ring
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bulb — for light
  14. band — a music group
  15. pop — to visit
  16. fall — to drop
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pop — soda
  19. perch — the fish
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fall — the season
  24. ball — a dance

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