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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. object — an aim
  5. date — the fruit
  6. mark — a trace
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. object — a thing
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. mark — a grade
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. row — to paddle
  14. season — of the year
  15. row — a line
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. rash — a series
  20. object — to protest
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. kick — in football
  23. stand — to bear
  24. rash — hasty

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