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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: season · date · stick · mark · march · hide · bound · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. march — the month
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bound — tied together
  5. season — of the year
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. season — in sport
  10. bound — obliged
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. kick — in football
  15. march — music
  16. bound — certain
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. march — the month
  21. mark — a grade
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. date — the fruit

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