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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · rock · object · wax · perch · stem · rash · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. object — an aim
  4. rock — a stone
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. rash — hasty
  8. season — in sport
  9. rash — a series
  10. object — to protest
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. mate — a partner
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. perch — the fish
  15. season — of the year
  16. wax — to grow
  17. object — a thing
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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