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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: bulb · wake · safe · perch · pitcher · wind · arm · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. board — to get on
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. perch — the fish
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bulb — for light
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. board — a committee
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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