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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.

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: perch · safe · scale · press · lash · hand · wound · spring

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. scale — size or range
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. spring — a coil
  6. hand — help
  7. perch — the fish
  8. press — newspapers
  9. wound — an injury
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. press — to push
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. press — a publisher
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. scale — in music
  17. wound — an injury
  18. spring — of water
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. spring — the season
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. hand — in cards
  24. scale — for weighing

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