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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. game — a match
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. season — in sport
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. craft — boats
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. season — of the year
  23. craft — a skill
  24. game — wild animals

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