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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. present — there
  11. face — to point toward
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. face — to confront
  14. present — the time now
  15. rush — hurry
  16. snap — to click
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. present — a gift
  19. face — part of the head
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. sharp — clever

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