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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: file · stand · suit · season · prune · lash · date · net

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. stand — to bear
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. season — in sport
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. prune — to trim
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. season — of the year
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. prune — to trim
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a line of people
  20. date — the fruit
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. suit — clothes
  23. file — a tool
  24. net — in sport

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