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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.

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 · mark · saw · season · track · mate · ruler · last

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — to breed
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mark — a trace
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. mark — a grade
  8. season — of the year
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. mate — a friend
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. perch — the fish
  17. track — a path
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — finally
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. last — final
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. saw — the tool

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