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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: straw · stock · perch · safe · saw · staff · bank · file

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stock — goods
  5. staff — employees
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. file — a document
  8. stock — shares
  9. staff — employees
  10. file — a tool
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bank — of a river
  18. perch — the fish
  19. staff — a stick
  20. file — a line of people
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bank — for money

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