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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: present · net · bulb · straw · fall · wax · hide · perch

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bulb — for light
  3. present — a gift
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. fall — to drop
  11. net — after costs
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. present — the time now
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fall — to drop
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wax — to grow
  21. net — in sport
  22. fall — the season
  23. present — there
  24. net — for catching

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