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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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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: perch · firm · coach · spell · tear · pass · arm · lean

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. spell — letters
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. tear — from crying
  7. lean — to bend
  8. firm — a company
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pass — a permit
  12. spell — magic
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. lean — thin
  16. firm — steady
  17. tear — to rip
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. perch — the fish
  20. firm — decided
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. spell — a short time
  24. coach — a trainer

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