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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. spring — the season
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. spring — of water
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. last — final
  11. last — finally
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bass — low music
  15. spring — a coil
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. perch — the fish
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bass — the fish
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. racket — a loud noise

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