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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 · tear · key · pound · chest · mate · arm

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — in music
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. tear — to rip
  8. pound — a weight
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pass — a permit
  11. perch — the fish
  12. tear — from crying
  13. key — for a lock
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. chest — a box
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pass — to succeed

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