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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. staff — employees
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — thin
  11. present — the time now
  12. charge — electricity
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pop — to visit
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. lean — to bend
  18. present — a gift
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. present — there
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — soda
  24. wake — a trail

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