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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: shower · rush · fork · perch · current · field · safe · saw

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. current — happening now
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. field — a subject
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. field — for sport
  12. shower — to wash
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — in a road
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. shower — rain
  20. rush — hurry
  21. field — farmland
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. saw — the tool
  24. perch — the fish

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