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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: mark · chair · pound · mate · perch · lean · wake · board

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mate — a friend
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. perch — the fish
  6. board — to get on
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. chair — a leader
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — to breed
  13. board — a committee
  14. pound — a weight
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. lean — thin
  24. pound — to hit hard

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