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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. date — the fruit
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bass — low music
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bear — the animal
  17. craft — a skill
  18. dip — to sink
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. craft — boats
  21. bear — the animal
  22. kick — in football
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. leaves — lets stay

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