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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: perch · kick · bat · object · rash · mark · season · wake

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. object — an aim
  4. perch — the fish
  5. object — to protest
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. season — in sport
  8. rash — hasty
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. object — a thing
  11. rash — a series
  12. wake — a trail
  13. season — of the year
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bat — the animal
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. kick — in football
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bat — for baseball

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