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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
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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: leaves · wind · board · mine · date · pass · rock · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mine — for digging
  6. pass — a permit
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. board — a committee
  9. date — the fruit
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. rock — music
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. rock — a stone
  23. board — to get on
  24. mate — a partner

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