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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. rest — a break
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. race — a contest
  6. spring — a coil
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. spring — of water
  9. rest — what's left
  10. race — the arms race
  11. season — of the year
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mate — to breed
  14. season — in sport
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bear — the animal
  17. race — humankind
  18. bear — the animal
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. mate — a partner
  21. spring — the season
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. mate — a friend
  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