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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. season — of the year
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. rash — hasty
  5. pit — in a race
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. season — in sport
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — the fruit
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — to protest
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. branch — a division
  18. object — an aim
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pit — a hole
  22. vault — a safe
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. rash — a series

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