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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.

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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: bulb · deal · fall · straw · pitcher · perch · calf · foot

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bulb — for light
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. foot — a measure
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bulb — for light
  18. perch — the fish
  19. fall — to drop
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. straw — dry grass

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