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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: ground · nail · firm · straw · stem · perch · bat · mouse

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. perch — the fish
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bat — the animal
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. ground — crushed
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — steady
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. firm — a company
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. perch — for a bird

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