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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: perch · safe · stick · craft · rash · scale · cap · cold

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. scale — size or range
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. rash — a series
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cold — not warm
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cap — a hat
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. craft — boats
  14. rash — hasty
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. craft — a skill
  17. scale — in music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. cold — an illness
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. perch — the fish

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