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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: mug · lash · tube · safe · stick · pitch · perch · bay

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — to rob
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. tube — a container
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. mug — a cup
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lash — an eyelash

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