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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.

Make a worksheet

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: roll · track · lean · season · tear · key · safe · perch

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. perch — the fish
  4. roll — a cake
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. key — for a lock
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lean — thin
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. lean — to bend
  13. roll — a list
  14. track — a song
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. tear — to rip
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. season — in sport
  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