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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 116 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: perch · hide · season · lie · net · rest · pass · cap

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. season — in sport
  3. perch — the fish
  4. net — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rest — what's left
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. lie — to recline
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. rest — a break
  16. net — after costs
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. net — for catching
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cap — a hat
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pass — to spend time

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