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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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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: safe · lash · bulb · cell · pitcher · bank · perch · march

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bank — of a river
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bank — for money
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. cell — a phone
  10. march — the month
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. march — the month
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bulb — for light
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bank — for money
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bulb — for light

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