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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: saw · fan · straw · calf · perch · bound · date · cabinet

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — certain
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bound — obliged
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. perch — the fish
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. calf — of the leg

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