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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. swing — to play on
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bore — to tire
  8. perch — the fish
  9. stock — goods
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stock — shares
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fall — the season
  14. bore — to drill
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. face — to confront
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fall — to drop
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. face — to point toward
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — music
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bore — gave birth

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