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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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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 · season · spring · rash · current · toast · stem · sharp

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. sharp — clever
  5. spring — of water
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. current — of water
  8. season — of the year
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. spring — the season
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. perch — the fish
  17. current — electric
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. rash — hasty
  20. toast — bread
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. current — happening now
  23. spring — a coil
  24. stem — to come from

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