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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: patient · perch · snap · foot · safe · fork · content · wind

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. snap — to click
  6. wind — moving air
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. wind — moving air
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. content — happy
  18. content — the amount
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. perch — the fish
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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