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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 120 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: lean · perch · firm · wake · rush · season · mate · field

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. lean — to bend
  3. field — a subject
  4. wake — a trail
  5. firm — steady
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. field — farmland
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. field — for sport
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — to breed
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. mate — a friend
  16. rush — hurry
  17. season — in sport
  18. firm — a company
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. lean — thin
  22. firm — decided
  23. season — of the year
  24. perch — the fish

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