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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. band — a music group
  3. fall — the season
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. plane — a tool
  6. deal — to handle
  7. mate — a friend
  8. date — the fruit
  9. squash — to crush
  10. band — a ring
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. fall — to drop
  17. staff — employees
  18. squash — the sport
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mate — a partner
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. squash — the vegetable

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