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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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Word bank
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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: net · rule · mine · spring · perch · safe · leaves · wake

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. net — after costs
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. wake — a trail
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. spring — a coil
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. spring — the season
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. perch — the fish
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — in sport
  21. spring — of water
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. rule — government

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