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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: calf · pitch · ground · lean · rush · last · perch · safe

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. last — final
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. lean — to bend
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. ground — crushed
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. ground — the earth
  17. last — to go on
  18. lean — thin
  19. perch — the fish
  20. rush — hurry
  21. ground — a position
  22. last — finally
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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