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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: safe · perch · wind · bear · track · rule · rest · saw

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rule — a law
  6. perch — the fish
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. track — to keep track
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. rule — government
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rest — a break
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wind — moving air
  21. track — a path
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. rest — what's left
  24. track — a song

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