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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 116 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. fall — to drop
  7. swing — to play on
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. kick — in football
  15. swing — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pop — music
  20. perch — the fish
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pop — to visit
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. swing — in golf

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