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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. spring — a coil
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. spring — of water
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. content — the amount
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a face
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cell — a phone
  14. board — to get on
  15. content — happy
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. board — a committee
  18. spring — the season
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — in biology
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. mug — a cup
  24. perch — the fish

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