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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · mark · trunk · perch · safe · straw

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. perch — the fish
  5. row — to paddle
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. row — a line
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. perch — for a bird

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