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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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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: kid · perch · bass · safe · calf · wound · tube · firm

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. firm — a company
  4. wound — an injury
  5. tube — the underground
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. firm — steady
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bass — low music
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bass — the fish
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. kid — child
  18. perch — the fish
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. firm — decided
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. kid — to tease
  24. tube — a container

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