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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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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 · bound · rock · pound · bay · object · perch · snap

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. pound — a weight
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bound — certain
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. object — an aim
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. snap — to click
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bound — obliged
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. object — to protest
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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