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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 120 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: firm · dip · bound · perch · snap · sharp · straw · content

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. dip — to sink
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bound — obliged
  10. content — the amount
  11. snap — to click
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. firm — steady
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. firm — decided
  19. content — happy
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bound — tied together
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. sharp — clever
  24. firm — a company

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