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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 116 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: rock · root · staff · kick · scale · straw · hide · perch

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. rock — a stone
  5. root — of a word
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. staff — employees
  13. scale — size or range
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. scale — in music
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rock — music
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. root — the cause
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. kick — in football
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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