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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chest · saw · craft · season · stick · safe · date · capital

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. chest — of your body
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. chest — of your body
  9. saw — the tool
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. craft — boats
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. season — of the year
  17. date — the fruit
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. capital — money
  20. chest — a box
  21. craft — a skill
  22. capital — a city
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. saw — the tool

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