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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: safe · chip · perch · wake · lean · jam · wound · toast

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. perch — the fish
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. lean — thin
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. toast — bread
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. wake — a trail
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wound — an injury
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. wound — an injury
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. lean — to bend
  21. chip — for betting
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. chip — to eat

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