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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.

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: safe · key · straw · bat · perch · coach · leaves · march

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. march — music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. key — the most important part
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bat — the animal
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. key — in music
  24. perch — for a bird

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