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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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468
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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. ground — the earth
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ground — crushed
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. perch — the fish
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rash — a series
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a tool
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. file — a line of people
  15. rash — hasty
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. kid — child
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ground — a position
  23. rash — on the skin
  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