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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 116 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: staff · straw · bound · cap · perch · rule · nail · last

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cap — of ice
  3. staff — employees
  4. last — to go on
  5. perch — the fish
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bound — certain
  8. cap — a hat
  9. staff — a stick
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. staff — employees
  15. last — finally
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bound — tied together
  20. rule — a law
  21. bound — obliged
  22. last — final
  23. rule — government
  24. cap — a lid

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