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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 120 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 · prune · craft · rest · bay · lean · safe · cold

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. craft — boats
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. craft — a skill
  14. perch — the fish
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lean — thin
  20. cold — an illness
  21. rest — what's left
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. craft — a handicraft

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