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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  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 — of the year
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wind — moving air
  8. deal — to handle
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. wind — moving air
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. firm — a company
  13. season — in sport
  14. stand — to bear
  15. firm — decided
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. firm — steady
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. date — the fruit
  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