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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. present — there
  3. mate — a friend
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — a gift
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. object — to protest
  10. sharp — clever
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mate — a partner
  14. season — in sport
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. object — a thing
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. date — the fruit
  19. mate — to breed
  20. object — an aim
  21. rest — what's left
  22. vault — a safe
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. sharp — exactly

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