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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 · last · roll · perch · fall · nail · rush · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. court — of law
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. fall — to drop
  10. last — finally
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. last — to go on
  15. fall — the season
  16. rush — hurry
  17. court — of a king
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. last — final
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. roll — a cake

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