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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: perch · chest · pass · craft · present · pitcher · hide · foot

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a skill
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. perch — the fish
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. present — a gift
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. foot — a measure
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — there
  24. chest — of your body

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