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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 120 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.

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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: wound · bound · chair · bay · stand · fan · perch · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bound — certain
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bound — tied together
  16. stand — to bear
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. perch — the fish
  19. chair — a leader
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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