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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: coach · bound · land · lie · kid · game · perch · safe

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. land — ground
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. land — a country
  6. bound — certain
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. game — a match
  9. kid — to tease
  10. game — wild animals
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. perch — the fish
  20. lie — to recline
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. land — to come down

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