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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · saw · dip · straw · lean · bass · cabinet · jam

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lean — thin
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. dip — to sink
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. jam — a tight spot

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