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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: present · row · perch · mug · cold · lie · stock · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. present — there
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cold — an illness
  8. stock — goods
  9. mug — a cup
  10. stock — shares
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mug — to rob
  13. lie — to recline
  14. perch — the fish
  15. row — a line
  16. row — to paddle
  17. mug — a face
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. present — a gift
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. present — the time now
  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