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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mug — a face
  5. mate — a partner
  6. plane — a tool
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. key — for a lock
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. chest — of your body
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mate — to breed
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. key — in music
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. chest — a box
  19. mug — to rob
  20. last — to go on
  21. mate — a friend
  22. last — final
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. last — finally

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