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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: season · perch · fine · chair · row · fall · bank · hide

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bank — of a river
  3. fine — all right
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. row — to paddle
  7. chair — a leader
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fall — to drop
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. fall — the season
  14. perch — the fish
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. row — a line
  17. fall — to drop
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bank — for money
  21. season — in sport
  22. bank — for money
  23. row — a quarrel
  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