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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: pitcher · perch · rest · season · stick · lie · bank · mate

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mate — a partner
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bank — for money
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mate — to breed
  12. season — in sport
  13. perch — the fish
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. season — of the year
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mate — a friend
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rest — what's left

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