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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. drill — the tool
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pound — a weight
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. drill — a practice
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. lean — to bend
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. drill — army training
  20. lean — thin
  21. march — the month
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. safe — a strongbox

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