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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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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. kid — child
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. kid — to tease
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — a series
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bore — to drill
  17. perch — the fish
  18. fall — to drop
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. fall — the season
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bore — to tire
  24. fall — to drop

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