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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: season · perch · temple · date · land · bulb · rash · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. land — a country
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. date — the fruit
  7. season — of the year
  8. rash — hasty
  9. land — ground
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bear — the animal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. season — in sport
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bulb — for light
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. land — to come down
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. rash — a series
  24. perch — for a bird

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