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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
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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: perch · calf · band · key · bat · wound · row · safe

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  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. wound — an injury
  2. key — for a lock
  3. wound — an injury
  4. row — to paddle
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. row — a line
  8. band — a music group
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. key — the most important part
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. key — in music
  17. bat — the animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. band — a ring
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. safe — out of danger
  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