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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.

Make a worksheet

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: lie · last · perch · season · safe · chest · stem · land

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. last — finally
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. land — a country
  5. chest — of your body
  6. lie — to recline
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. land — to come down
  11. chest — a box
  12. season — of the year
  13. last — final
  14. last — to go on
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. chest — of your body
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. land — ground
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. perch — the fish
  24. season — to add flavour

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