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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: saw · perch · mate · rush · face · hand · bank · chair

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rush — hurry
  3. mate — a friend
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. saw — the tool
  7. hand — in cards
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bank — for money
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. hand — help
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bank — for money
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bank — of a river
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. mate — a partner

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