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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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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: scale · lie · swing · safe · wound · race · sharp · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. race — a contest
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. perch — the fish
  7. swing — in golf
  8. wound — an injury
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. swing — music
  12. race — the arms race
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. race — humankind
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. sharp — clever
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wound — an injury
  20. scale — size or range
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. scale — in music
  24. swing — to play on

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