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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: bowl · hide · race · perch · row · safe · capital · kick

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. race — a contest
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. capital — a city
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. race — humankind
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. capital — money
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. row — a line
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. race — the arms race
  15. kick — in football
  16. perch — the fish
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. safe — out of danger

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