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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. track — a path
  3. cap — a lid
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. date — the fruit
  8. track — a song
  9. staff — employees
  10. track — to keep track
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. rush — hurry
  15. season — in sport
  16. cap — of ice
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. cap — a hat
  19. staff — employees
  20. season — of the year
  21. staff — a stick
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — on the calendar

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