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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. perch — the fish
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — to wash
  19. current — happening now
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. wake — a trail
  22. toast — bread
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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