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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wound — an injury
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. fine — high quality
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. perch — the fish
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. field — for sport
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. face — to point toward
  21. fine — all right
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wake — a trail
  24. stand — on your feet

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