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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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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: shower · perch · foot · hand · chair · swing · object · safe

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. object — an aim
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. hand — in cards
  8. object — a thing
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — rain
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. shower — to wash
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — a measure
  18. object — to protest
  19. perch — the fish
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. hand — help
  23. chair — a leader
  24. swing — in golf

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