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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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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: perch · leaves · plane · safe · mouse · straw · toast · stick

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. toast — bread
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. perch — the fish
  19. plane — a tool
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. leaves — lets stay

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