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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 120 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: sharp · perch · present · row · safe · wave · saw · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. sharp — clever
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. row — a line
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. present — a gift
  9. saw — the tool
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. perch — the fish
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. game — wild animals
  16. present — there
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. present — the time now
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. row — to paddle
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. saw — the tool

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