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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: straw · perch · object · dip · saw · mate · mug · track

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. mate — a friend
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. track — a path
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. object — to protest
  7. track — a song
  8. dip — to sink
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mate — to breed
  12. object — a thing
  13. mug — to rob
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mate — a partner
  18. saw — the tool
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mug — a face
  21. object — an aim
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. track — to keep track
  24. mug — a cup

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