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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.

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: plane · perch · pass · squash · march · mate · track · lash

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. mate — to breed
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. march — the month
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — a tool
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. march — the month
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. track — a path
  12. squash — to crush
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. squash — the sport
  15. mate — a friend
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. mate — a partner
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. perch — the fish
  23. pass — a permit
  24. track — a song

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