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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 120 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: perch · face · pass · rule · arm · bore · leaves · chair

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. rule — government
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. chair — a leader
  11. pass — a permit
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. face — to point toward
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. face — part of the head
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. face — to confront
  20. bore — to drill
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. rule — a law
  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