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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.

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: stick · perch · pass · coach · rush · swing · plane · march

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. march — the month
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rush — hurry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. plane — a tool
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. march — the month
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. perch — the fish
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. march — music
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. coach — a trainer

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