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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. season — of the year
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. stand — to bear
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bass — low music
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. season — in sport
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. staff — a stick
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. date — the fruit
  18. craft — boats
  19. bass — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. fall — the season
  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