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

Word bank: stem · roll · mate · rest · date · kick

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mate — a partner
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. rest — a break
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. date — the fruit
  8. kick — in football
  9. roll — a list
  10. mate — to breed
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. mate — a friend
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. rest — what's left
  16. roll — a cake
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. stem — to come from

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