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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: perch · spell · safe · mark · cabinet · rest · wound · wake

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. spell — letters
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mark — a grade
  6. spell — magic
  7. perch — the fish
  8. rest — what's left
  9. spell — a short time
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rest — a break
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mark — a trace
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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