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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 116 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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468
Word bank
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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. fine — all right
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rush — hurry
  18. row — a line
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. perch — the fish
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. fine — high quality
  24. row — to paddle

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