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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: deal · chest · face · club · safe · perch · current · prune

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. prune — to trim
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. club — for golf
  5. face — to confront
  6. chest — of your body
  7. club — for dancing
  8. current — of water
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. current — happening now
  11. prune — to trim
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. face — part of the head
  14. club — a group
  15. face — to point toward
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — to handle
  18. current — electric
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. chest — of your body
  21. perch — the fish
  22. chest — a box
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. safe — out of danger

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