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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 common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  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 — the fish
  2. drill — army training
  3. object — to protest
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. object — a thing
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. drill — the tool
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — of water
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. track — a song
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. drill — a practice
  17. track — a path
  18. object — an aim
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spring — the season
  22. track — to keep track
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  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