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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: race · perch · bank · spell · season · march · trunk · toast

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. season — of the year
  4. race — humankind
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bank — for money
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. spell — magic
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. race — the arms race
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. perch — the fish
  17. spell — letters
  18. march — the month
  19. toast — bread
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — in sport
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. trunk — of a car

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