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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: band · arm · cabinet · perch · stick · net · lash · safe

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. perch — the fish
  7. net — for catching
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a ring
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. net — after costs
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. net — in sport
  17. band — a music group
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. cabinet — ministers

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