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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 · date · hide · vault · firm · trunk · can · last

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. firm — decided
  3. can — a tin
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. season — in sport
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. can — to be able to
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. last — to go on
  12. date — the fruit
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — steady
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. season — of the year
  20. vault — a safe
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. last — finally
  23. can — a tin
  24. date — on the calendar

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