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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: wound · hide · jam · wax · season · date · craft · club

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. club — for dancing
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. season — of the year
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. club — a group
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. club — for golf
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. craft — boats
  20. wound — an injury
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wound — an injury
  23. season — in sport
  24. hide — to keep secret

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