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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: nail · straw · pop · jam · bank · stand · perch · lash

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. pop — music
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. stand — to bear
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bank — for money
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bank — for money
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. perch — the fish
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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