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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: saw · season · sharp · cap · fan · leaves · lie · date

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — a lid
  4. season — of the year
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. sharp — clever
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cap — of ice
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. date — the fruit
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. saw — the tool
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. lie — to recline
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. sharp — with an edge

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