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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 · snap · content · mouse · present · vault · arm · safe

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. content — the amount
  9. present — a gift
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. present — there
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. snap — to click
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. present — the time now
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. content — happy
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. perch — the fish
  24. safe — out of danger

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