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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. saw — the tool
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. content — the amount
  5. perch — the fish
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bulb — for light
  8. prune — to trim
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in biology
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bulb — for light
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. prune — to trim
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. content — happy
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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