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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: rush · club · plane · chair · march · perch · nail · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. plane — a tool
  6. march — the month
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. club — for dancing
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. perch — the fish
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. chair — a leader
  13. rush — hurry
  14. march — the month
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. march — music
  17. club — a group
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. club — for golf
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. chair — to sit on

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