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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: lean · last · mug · foot · safe · pit · perch · ruler

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — final
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. foot — a measure
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. last — to go on
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. mug — to rob
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mug — a cup
  17. pit — a hole
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pit — in a race
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mug — a face

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