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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. spell — letters
  8. perch — the fish
  9. spell — a short time
  10. clip — for paper
  11. date — the fruit
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — to fit
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. spell — magic
  16. net — after costs
  17. clip — a video
  18. suit — clothes
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. clip — to cut
  23. plane — a tool
  24. date — on the calendar

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