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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rock · straw · net · drill · wake · squash · hide · perch

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. drill — the tool
  5. squash — the sport
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. squash — to crush
  9. perch — the fish
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. net — in sport
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. net — after costs
  14. rock — a stone
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. rock — music
  21. net — for catching
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. drill — army training
  24. wake — a trail

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