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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: safe · plane · sharp · pit · staff · perch · ground · temple

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. perch — the fish
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. ground — crushed
  16. pit — a hole
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pit — in a race
  19. ground — a position
  20. plane — a tool
  21. ground — the earth
  22. staff — employees
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — exactly

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