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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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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: nail · rash · bore · clip · perch · spring · safe · lean

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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. lean — to rest against
  4. rash — hasty
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bore — to drill
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bore — to tire
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. perch — the fish
  18. clip — to cut
  19. lean — to bend
  20. spring — of water
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. spring — the season
  23. clip — a video
  24. lean — thin

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