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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
468
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 · can · season · cold · mate · sharp · rash · leaves

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cold — an illness
  4. mate — a partner
  5. can — to be able to
  6. cold — not warm
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. season — in sport
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mate — a friend
  16. rash — a series
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. date — the fruit
  19. season — of the year
  20. can — a tin
  21. rash — hasty
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. sharp — clever

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