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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.

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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: racket · perch · saw · wound · snap · last · safe · craft

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  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. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. perch — the fish
  3. saw — the tool
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. craft — boats
  7. wound — an injury
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. craft — a skill
  11. last — finally
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. saw — the tool
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. snap — to click
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. last — final
  18. wound — an injury
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. last — to go on
  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