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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. season — in sport
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. season — of the year
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chest — of your body
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. date — the fruit
  14. deal — to handle
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for dancing
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. chest — a box
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. chest — of your body
  24. club — for golf

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