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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 116 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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468
Word bank
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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. swing — music
  4. kid — child
  5. bound — obliged
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. perch — the fish
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bound — certain
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pit — in a race
  19. swing — to play on
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. swing — in golf
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. perch — for a bird

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