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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: perch · fall · dip · pass · season · mate · object · last

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. object — a thing
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. season — of the year
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. pass — a permit
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. last — final
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. last — to go on
  14. season — in sport
  15. fall — the season
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a friend
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. object — to protest
  21. perch — the fish
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. last — finally
  24. object — an aim

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