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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: mouse · season · foot · wound · date · pound · press · craft

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. foot — a measure
  4. press — a publisher
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pound — a weight
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — boats
  15. date — the fruit
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. craft — a skill
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. season — 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