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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: rest · arm · perch · craft · bulb · field · lean · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. field — farmland
  3. rest — what's left
  4. craft — a skill
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. field — a subject
  7. lean — to bend
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. field — for sport
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. craft — boats
  13. lean — thin
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rest — what's left
  18. perch — the fish
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bulb — for light
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rest — a break
  24. safe — out of danger

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