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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lean — to bend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bore — to tire
  8. spell — a short time
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. lean — thin
  14. land — a country
  15. spell — magic
  16. mate — a friend
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. land — ground
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bore — to drill
  21. spell — letters
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. mate — a partner
  24. land — to come down

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