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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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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: hide · race · content · stick · perch · bound · object · safe

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. race — a contest
  6. content — the amount
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. race — the arms race
  9. object — to protest
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bound — tied together
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. race — humankind
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — certain
  20. object — an aim
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. object — a thing
  24. content — happy

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