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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rush — hurry
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. hand — in cards
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. hand — help
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. perch — the fish
  12. wound — an injury
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rest — what's left
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. staff — employees
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rest — a break
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. rush — to hurry

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