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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. field — for sport
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. field — farmland
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. perch — the fish
  20. lie — to recline
  21. field — a subject
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. straw — dry grass

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