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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wound · lean · field · roll · perch · safe · foot · fine

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. field — for sport
  3. fine — all right
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. roll — a list
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lean — to bend
  9. fine — high quality
  10. field — farmland
  11. lean — thin
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. wound — an injury
  14. perch — the fish
  15. foot — a measure
  16. field — a subject
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. roll — a cake
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. fine — a penalty

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