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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
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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: mate · march · leaves · shower · calf · season · rock · perch

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. perch — the fish
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. shower — to wash
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. rock — a stone
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rock — music
  19. mate — a friend
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. mate — a partner
  22. march — the month
  23. shower — rain
  24. mate — to breed

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