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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: perch · straw · kid · land · lie · saw · coach · charge

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. saw — the tool
  9. charge — electricity
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. charge — in control
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. kid — to tease
  15. perch — the fish
  16. land — a country
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. land — ground
  19. land — to come down
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. saw — the tool
  24. charge — a price

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