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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: wound · perch · row · staff · foot · bat · wave · safe

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bat — the animal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. wound — an injury
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. staff — employees
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. staff — employees
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. perch — the fish
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. row — a line
  24. foot — a measure

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