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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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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: mate · key · pass · chair · perch · saw · plane · arm

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. chair — a leader
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pass — a permit
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. mate — a friend
  14. key — the most important part
  15. mate — to breed
  16. perch — the fish
  17. mate — a partner
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. key — in music
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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