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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.

Make a worksheet

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: content · perch · swing · drill · land · spring · leaves · safe

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. land — ground
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. spring — of water
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. swing — music
  11. land — to come down
  12. spring — a coil
  13. content — the amount
  14. land — a country
  15. spring — the season
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. swing — in golf
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. swing — to play on
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. drill — army training
  24. content — happy

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