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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: safe · perch · chip · pitcher · wake · chest · file · tube

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — a container
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. file — a tool
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. perch — the fish
  11. file — a line of people
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. chip — for betting
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. file — a document
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. chest — a box
  23. chip — to eat
  24. wake — a trail

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