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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mug — to rob
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. tear — from crying
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. mug — a face
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. date — the fruit
  17. tear — to rip
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rush — hurry
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mug — a cup
  24. season — of the year

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