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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.

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: wound · mate · perch · rest · ball · scale · lash · season

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. rest — what's left
  4. scale — size or range
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rest — what's left
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rest — a break
  12. perch — the fish
  13. scale — in music
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. season — of the year
  16. mate — a friend
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mate — a partner
  19. season — in sport
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. ball — a great time
  22. mate — to breed
  23. ball — a dance
  24. scale — for weighing

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