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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. season — in sport
  4. date — the fruit
  5. fall — to drop
  6. degree — temperature
  7. stand — to bear
  8. fall — the season
  9. bore — to tire
  10. rock — a stone
  11. season — of the year
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. rock — music
  17. fall — to drop
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. degree — from a university
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bore — to drill

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