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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · field · present · cabinet · safe · trunk · pop · perch

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. field — a subject
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. pop — music
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. present — there
  13. present — the time now
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pop — soda
  19. present — a gift
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — farmland
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — of the sea

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