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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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. perch — for a bird
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — for a lock
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. perch — the fish
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. ground — a position
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. key — in music
  15. ground — the earth
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bat — the animal
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. ground — crushed
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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