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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 120 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: temple · chair · perch · plane · stand · ground · present · cue

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. ground — a position
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. ground — the earth
  10. present — a gift
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. cue — a hint
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. present — the time now
  15. perch — the fish
  16. present — there
  17. chair — a leader
  18. cue — a signal
  19. plane — a tool
  20. cue — for pool
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. ground — crushed

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