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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.

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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: sharp · fine · bowl · safe · prune · cue · perch · wound

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cue — a hint
  4. fine — all right
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. prune — to trim
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. cue — for pool
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. perch — the fish
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fine — high quality
  22. wound — an injury
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. safe — a strongbox

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