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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cap — of ice
  4. saw — the tool
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cap — a hat
  10. date — the fruit
  11. season — in sport
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. season — of the year
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cap — a lid
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. prune — to trim

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