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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: safe · racket · rest · deal · perch · spell · cell · wound

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cell — a phone
  5. rest — a break
  6. spell — letters
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wound — an injury
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. spell — a short time
  16. deal — to handle
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wound — an injury
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. cell — in biology
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. spell — magic
  24. rest — what's left

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