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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: straw · lie · stick · fan · field · bay · perch · net

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. field — for sport
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. field — farmland
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. field — a subject
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. lie — to recline
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. net — for catching
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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