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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: pitch · perch · lie · fall · band · safe · scale · squash

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. band — a ring
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. scale — in music
  9. fall — the season
  10. band — a music group
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fall — to drop
  16. lie — to recline
  17. squash — the sport
  18. perch — the fish
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. pitch — completely
  21. fall — to drop
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — to crush
  24. scale — for weighing

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