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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: cold · deal · safe · kid · perch · stand · arm · wake

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cold — not warm
  8. deal — to handle
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cold — an illness
  15. stand — to bear
  16. kid — child
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. kid — to tease

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