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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: bore · sharp · face · stem · bowl · safe · perch · court

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. court — of law
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. face — part of the head
  5. stem — to come from
  6. face — to point toward
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bore — to drill
  10. face — to confront
  11. court — of a king
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. court — for sport
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. perch — the fish

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