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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. march — the month
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. season — of the year
  5. cap — a hat
  6. march — the month
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — a partner
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. season — in sport
  15. bore — to drill
  16. cap — of ice
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bear — the animal
  21. march — music
  22. cap — a lid
  23. mate — to breed
  24. season — to add flavour

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