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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  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 — in sport
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. date — the fruit
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bass — low music
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — of the year
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. kick — in football
  18. mine — for digging
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bass — the fish
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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