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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: plane · net · perch · bound · mouse · hand · racket · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. hand — help
  3. plane — a tool
  4. net — in sport
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. net — for catching
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bound — tied together
  15. perch — the fish
  16. net — after costs
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. hand — in cards
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bound — obliged
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bound — certain

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