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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 · calf · last · swing · season · pass · nail · mate

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. perch — the fish
  3. mate — a friend
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. swing — in golf
  7. last — finally
  8. swing — to play on
  9. season — of the year
  10. swing — music
  11. last — to go on
  12. pass — a permit
  13. last — final
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pass — to spend time
  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