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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 · race · swing · hide · chair · dip · firm · season

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. season — in sport
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. chair — a leader
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. swing — in golf
  12. race — a contest
  13. firm — steady
  14. race — the arms race
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. race — humankind
  17. season — of the year
  18. swing — music
  19. firm — decided
  20. dip — to sink
  21. swing — to play on
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. firm — a company
  24. chair — a professorship

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