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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.

Make a worksheet

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: last · chair · ruler · chest · plane · perch · calf · mine

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  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. chest — a box
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. perch — the fish
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. last — finally
  10. plane — a tool
  11. last — final
  12. mine — for digging
  13. last — to go on
  14. chair — a leader
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. chest — of your body
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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