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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. root — of a plant
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bat — the animal
  7. march — the month
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to click
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. march — music
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. race — the arms race
  16. root — the cause
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. march — the month
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — a contest
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. root — of a word

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