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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stock · wound · safe · fan · swing · perch · hide · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. swing — in golf
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. swing — music
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stock — shares
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stock — goods
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. swing — to play on
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. wound — an injury

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