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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: pit · rush · fall · chest · perch · safe · mine · club

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. rush — hurry
  8. club — for golf
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pit — in a race
  11. chest — a box
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. club — a group
  16. mine — for digging
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. club — for dancing
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pit — a hole

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