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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. fork — in a road
  3. season — of the year
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. band — a ring
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. current — happening now
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. stand — to bear
  17. current — electric
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. date — the fruit
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. current — of water
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. date — on the calendar

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