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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: safe · hide · field · scale · lash · perch · march · rest

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rest — a break
  3. march — the month
  4. rest — what's left
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rest — what's left
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. field — farmland
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — a subject
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. march — music
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. march — the month
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. perch — the fish
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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