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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: row · root · wound · date · stand · season · cold · mouse

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. date — the fruit
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cold — an illness
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. root — of a word
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. row — to paddle
  14. cold — not warm
  15. row — a line
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — in sport
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. wound — an injury

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