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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: bear · hand · straw · chip · vault · firm · perch · suit

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. hand — in cards
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. firm — a company
  5. suit — clothes
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bear — the animal
  10. suit — to fit
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. firm — steady
  13. hand — help
  14. bear — the animal
  15. vault — a safe
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. firm — decided
  20. suit — in cards
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — to eat

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