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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: arm · coach · perch · saw · pass · staff · mate · stand

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. perch — the fish
  5. stand — to bear
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mate — a partner
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. staff — a stick
  16. pass — a permit
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. mate — a friend
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. mate — to breed
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. staff — employees

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