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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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Word bank
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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: track · date · fine · prune · fall · staff · firm · hide

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. staff — a stick
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. firm — decided
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. fall — the season
  10. prune — to trim
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. prune — to trim
  14. date — the fruit
  15. firm — steady
  16. fine — high quality
  17. staff — employees
  18. track — a path
  19. fall — to drop
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. firm — a company
  22. staff — employees
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. fall — to drop

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