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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. band — a music group
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. track — a path
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. track — a song
  14. stem — to come from
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. ball — a dance
  17. track — to keep track
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. perch — the fish
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. band — a ring
  23. chair — a leader
  24. perch — for a bird

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