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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: date · lean · bay · fan · bound · season

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. lean — to bend
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — thin
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bound — obliged
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bound — certain
  12. season — of the year
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. season — in sport
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bound — tied together
  18. date — the fruit

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