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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. row — to paddle
  4. perch — the fish
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mark — a trace
  7. row — a line
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. mark — a grade
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rest — what's left
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — clever
  18. mine — for digging
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. row — a quarrel

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