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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 116 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
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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: staff · pass · row · bat · firm · mine · perch · wake

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. row — a line
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. firm — steady
  11. bat — the animal
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. row — to paddle
  16. firm — decided
  17. staff — employees
  18. firm — a company
  19. perch — the fish
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. staff — employees
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. staff — a stick

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