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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bass — the fish
  3. squash — to crush
  4. last — to go on
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fall — to drop
  7. last — finally
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. squash — the sport
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. last — final
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. perch — the fish
  21. fall — the season
  22. bass — low music
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fall — to drop

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