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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. chest — of your body
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pop — music
  5. toast — bread
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. chest — of your body
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pop — soda
  10. shower — rain
  11. spell — magic
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pop — to visit
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. shower — to wash
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stand — to bear
  21. perch — the fish
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. spell — letters
  24. chest — a box

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