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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.

Make a worksheet

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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. mug — to rob
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. perch — the fish
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — a cup
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pit — a hole
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. fan — a supporter

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