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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 · plane · safe · rule · season · bay · pound · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. season — in sport
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. rule — government
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. plane — a tool
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. perch — the fish
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. season — of the year
  22. rule — a law
  23. pound — a weight
  24. plane — an aircraft

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