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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
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: wake · lie · dip · chair · plane · march · perch · court

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. court — of a king
  4. march — music
  5. wake — a trail
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. court — of law
  10. chair — a leader
  11. march — the month
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. court — for sport
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. lie — to recline
  19. plane — a tool
  20. march — the month
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. perch — the fish
  24. dip — to sink

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