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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: plane · rest · march · perch · kick · pass · toast · shower

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. shower — rain
  3. rest — what's left
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. pass — a permit
  6. shower — to wash
  7. toast — bread
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. march — the month
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. kick — in football
  15. rest — what's left
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. rest — a break
  18. march — music
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. perch — the fish

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