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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. date — the fruit
  5. present — the time now
  6. spell — magic
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. mate — a friend
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. hand — in cards
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bore — to drill
  15. spell — letters
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. mate — a partner
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to tire
  23. spell — a short time
  24. hand — help

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