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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 120 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: safe · rush · perch · spring · rock · bat · bark · wind

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. spring — the season
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. rush — hurry
  11. spring — of water
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bark — to shout
  15. spring — a coil
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. perch — the fish
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bat — the animal
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wind — to turn a key

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