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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: last · safe · lean · scale · lash · ball · date · pitcher

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. last — finally
  4. date — the fruit
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. ball — a great time
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. last — final
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. date — on the calendar

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