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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: bound · safe · racket · arm · prune · straw · saw · perch

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. saw — the tool
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bound — tied together
  13. saw — the tool
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bound — certain
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bound — obliged

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