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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: wave · craft · rash · date · chest · tear · pitcher · season

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. season — in sport
  4. date — the fruit
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. chest — of your body
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rash — a series
  12. craft — a skill
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. craft — boats
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. chest — of your body
  22. season — of the year
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. season — to add flavour

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