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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 120 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 · tear · stand · game · snap · lie · squash

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. perch — the fish
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. tear — from crying
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. squash — the sport
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. game — a match
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stand — to bear
  15. tear — from crying
  16. squash — to crush
  17. snap — to click
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. game — wild animals
  20. lie — to recline
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. game — a kind of play

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