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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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. perch — the fish
  4. sharp — clever
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. craft — boats
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fork — in a road
  9. rash — a series
  10. can — to be able to
  11. clip — for paper
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. clip — a video
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. rash — hasty
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. craft — a skill
  21. can — a tin
  22. clip — to cut
  23. can — a tin
  24. safe — out of danger

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