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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. craft — boats
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rest — a break
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stand — to bear
  15. row — to paddle
  16. rest — what's left
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wound — an injury
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — a skill
  22. perch — the fish
  23. row — a line
  24. row — a quarrel

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