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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.

Make a worksheet

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: hide · suit · chair · date · wound · lean · season · toast

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. wound — an injury
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chair — a leader
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. suit — to fit
  10. toast — bread
  11. suit — in cards
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. wound — an injury
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. season — in sport
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. suit — clothes

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