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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 116 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: hide · sharp · perch · court · cell · mark · safe · wound

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. wound — an injury
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. sharp — clever
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. court — of law
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. perch — the fish
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. cell — in biology

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