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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: safe · current · leaves · last · mine · pit · perch · rush

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. last — to go on
  3. rush — hurry
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. current — of water
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. perch — the fish
  14. last — final
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. current — happening now
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. current — electric
  23. pit — in a race
  24. last — finally

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