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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: perch · kid · mark · safe · bowl · rule · wax · toast

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. perch — the fish
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. wax — to grow
  13. rule — a law
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. rule — government
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — to tease
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. mark — a grade

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