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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.

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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 · date · chest · hide · fall · mark · ball · perch

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mark — a grade
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. chest — a box
  10. perch — the fish
  11. fall — the season
  12. ball — a dance
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. fall — to drop
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mark — a trace
  22. date — the fruit
  23. chest — of your body
  24. ball — a great time

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