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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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. root — of a word
  4. wound — an injury
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. perch — the fish
  12. wound — an injury
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. can — a tin
  16. root — the cause
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. can — a tin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — in sport
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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