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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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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: perch · degree · nail · pass · stand · fall · cue · straw

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. perch — the fish
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cue — for pool
  10. stand — to bear
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. cue — a signal
  13. degree — temperature
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cue — a hint
  16. pass — a permit
  17. fall — the season
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. degree — from a university
  24. stand — for spectators

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