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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: season · perch · tear · bank · spell · toast · mouse · rule

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. tear — from crying
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spell — magic
  7. tear — to rip
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. season — of the year
  10. spell — a short time
  11. toast — bread
  12. season — in sport
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bank — of a river
  21. rule — a law
  22. spell — letters
  23. rule — government
  24. toast — the most admired

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