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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: hand · can · lie · safe · perch · date · coach · stick

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. hand — in cards
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. hand — help
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. perch — the fish
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. can — a tin
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lie — to recline
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lie — an untruth

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