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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: perch · stand · drill · safe · roll · tear · staff · chest

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. tear — to rip
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. staff — employees
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. drill — army training
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stand — to bear
  11. roll — a cake
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. perch — the fish
  14. drill — the tool
  15. roll — a list
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. tear — from crying
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. perch — for a bird

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