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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 116 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: fall · perch · coach · spell · last · cap · safe · pit

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. spell — letters
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. fall — to drop
  7. last — final
  8. perch — the fish
  9. last — to go on
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. spell — magic
  12. cap — of ice
  13. pit — a hole
  14. last — finally
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. spell — a short time
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fall — the season
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. fall — to drop
  24. perch — for a bird

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