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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: march · chair · perch · firm · row · bore · plane · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. perch — the fish
  3. season — of the year
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. plane — a tool
  7. firm — decided
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. march — the month
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. march — the month
  13. chair — a leader
  14. season — in sport
  15. march — music
  16. firm — a company
  17. row — a line
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. row — to paddle
  21. firm — steady
  22. bore — to tire
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bore — to drill

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