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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: date · object · current · craft · bark · lie · bank · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  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 — to add flavour
  2. season — of the year
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bank — of a river
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. date — the fruit
  8. current — electric
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. current — happening now
  11. craft — a skill
  12. object — to protest
  13. bank — for money
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. craft — boats
  17. bank — for money
  18. current — of water
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — an aim
  21. bark — to shout
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. date — on the calendar
  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