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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. perch — the fish
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bear — the animal
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. hand — in cards
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pass — a permit
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. hand — help
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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