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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: pass · ball · wound · rash · perch · firm · chair · lean

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. lean — to bend
  3. chair — a leader
  4. wound — an injury
  5. perch — the fish
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. ball — a great time
  10. firm — a company
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. rash — hasty
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. firm — decided
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rash — a series
  18. lean — thin
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wound — an injury
  22. firm — steady
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pass — to succeed

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