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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bound · net · calf · stand · land · straw · perch · cap

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. cap — a hat
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — obliged
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. land — a country
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — for catching
  16. cap — of ice
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. land — ground
  20. perch — the fish
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bound — tied together
  23. net — in sport
  24. straw — a straw man

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