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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: mug · leaves · craft · arm · wave · cap · date · field

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — the fruit
  6. craft — boats
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. craft — a skill
  11. field — a subject
  12. cap — a lid
  13. mug — a cup
  14. cap — of ice
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. mug — to rob
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. cap — a hat
  19. field — farmland
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mug — a face
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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