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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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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: ball · bank · foot · dip · band · straw · perch · snap

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. ball — a great time
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. band — a music group
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. ball — a dance
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bank — for money
  16. snap — to click
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bank — for money
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. band — a ring
  21. bank — of a river
  22. dip — to sink
  23. perch — the fish
  24. dip — to dunk

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