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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: bat · foot · wound · safe · perch · content · stem · wave

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. foot — a measure
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. content — the amount
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. perch — the fish
  17. stem — to come from
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bat — the animal
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. content — happy

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