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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. fine — all right
  3. present — a gift
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. key — the most important part
  6. fine — high quality
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. present — there
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. perch — the fish
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. key — for a lock
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. present — the time now
  18. rush — hurry
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. key — in music
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. fine — a penalty

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