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

Word bank: safe · perch · snap · cell · straw · spell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. snap — to click
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. spell — letters
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. spell — magic
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. spell — a short time
  13. perch — the fish
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. cell — a phone

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