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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 120 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: perch · wound · bay · safe · coach · cabinet · bear · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wound — an injury
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bay — a horse colour

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