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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: cap · perch · rest · safe · swing · game · mark · hide

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. rest — what's left
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. game — a match
  15. mark — a grade
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. rest — a break
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. game — wild animals
  20. mark — a trace
  21. swing — in golf
  22. perch — the fish
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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