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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 · pass · mate · toast · prune · chest · lean · craft

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. toast — bread
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pass — a permit
  8. perch — the fish
  9. mate — to breed
  10. lean — thin
  11. craft — boats
  12. chest — a box
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mate — a partner
  16. craft — a skill
  17. chest — of your body
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. chest — of your body
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. lean — to bend

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