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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · leaves · cell · perch · date · track · rush · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. file — a line of people
  3. cell — a phone
  4. track — a song
  5. date — the fruit
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mate — a partner
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. track — a path
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. track — to keep track
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mate — a friend
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. file — a document
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. file — a tool

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