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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. season — of the year
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lean — to bend
  8. chair — a leader
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mug — a cup
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. season — in sport
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mug — a face
  18. mate — a partner
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. lean — thin
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. cap — of ice
  23. mug — to rob
  24. cap — a lid

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