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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.

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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: toast · temple · season · leaves · tear · rest · perch · march

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. season — in sport
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. season — of the year
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. toast — bread
  7. rest — what's left
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. march — the month
  14. tear — from crying
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rest — what's left
  17. march — the month
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. march — music
  22. rest — a break
  23. tear — from crying
  24. leaves — to go away

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