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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: perch · chair · wake · object · cap · temple · stand · lash

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. cap — a hat
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. object — an aim
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. object — to protest
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. perch — the fish
  16. cap — a lid
  17. chair — a leader
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. object — a thing
  20. wake — a trail
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stand — to bear
  24. cap — of ice

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