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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: perch · lie · fine · straw · rock · clip · tube · rush

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fine — all right
  10. rock — music
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. tube — a container
  13. clip — to cut
  14. rush — hurry
  15. clip — for paper
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. fine — high quality
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. lie — to recline
  21. clip — a video
  22. rock — a stone
  23. perch — the fish
  24. fine — a penalty

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