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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: rush · object · plane · straw · perch · content · row · fine

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. object — a thing
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. fine — high quality
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. plane — a tool
  8. object — an aim
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. perch — the fish
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. row — a line
  19. content — the amount
  20. row — to paddle
  21. rush — hurry
  22. fine — all right
  23. content — happy
  24. content — videos and posts

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