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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 120 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: fall · can · bore · bank · season · current · last · perch

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. fall — the season
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. can — a tin
  5. fall — to drop
  6. season — in sport
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bank — of a river
  9. last — to go on
  10. bore — to drill
  11. season — of the year
  12. bank — for money
  13. last — final
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. last — finally
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bank — for money
  20. can — a tin
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. perch — the fish

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