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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: lie · lash · safe · pitch · fork · perch · tear · lean

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. lean — thin
  5. lie — to recline
  6. tear — to rip
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. fork — in a road
  9. perch — the fish
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pitch — completely
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lean — to bend
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. lie — an untruth

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