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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: leaves · mate · stock · march · perch · lean · last · present

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. last — finally
  4. last — final
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. present — a gift
  8. mate — to breed
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. mate — a partner
  11. stock — goods
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — thin
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. march — music
  16. stock — shares
  17. present — there
  18. march — the month
  19. present — the time now
  20. perch — the fish
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. march — the month
  24. last — to go on

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