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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. mate — to breed
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. march — the month
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. march — the month
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. date — the fruit
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — an aim
  15. last — finally
  16. stem — to come from
  17. mate — a partner
  18. object — to protest
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mate — a friend
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. last — final
  24. march — music

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