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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: stock · safe · mine · cell · perch · leaves · bound · ruler

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bound — obliged
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. cell — in biology
  7. stock — goods
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. mine — for digging
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bound — tied together
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. stock — shares
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bound — certain
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mine — belonging to me

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