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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: season · mine · date · hand · stick · file · suit · dip

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. hand — help
  3. mine — for digging
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. file — a tool
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. suit — in cards
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. date — the fruit
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. suit — to fit
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. suit — clothes
  15. file — a line of people
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — to sink
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. hand — in cards
  21. season — in sport
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. season — of the year

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