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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — a cup
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. spring — of water
  6. chair — a leader
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. spring — a coil
  15. craft — a skill
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. perch — the fish
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. spring — the season
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mug — to rob
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. craft — boats

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