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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: mine · mouse · rash · stem · date · roll · leaves · club

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — for dancing
  6. mine — for digging
  7. roll — a list
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rash — hasty
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. club — a group
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. stem — to come from
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. roll — a cake
  24. date — the fruit

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