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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: ground · date · kick · spell · safe · perch · wound · wave

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wound — an injury
  5. spell — letters
  6. perch — the fish
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spell — a short time
  14. ground — a position
  15. spell — magic
  16. ground — the earth
  17. wound — an injury
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. ground — crushed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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