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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: spring · fine · mate · hide · rest · date · root · toast

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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. mate — a friend
  4. fine — high quality
  5. spring — of water
  6. rest — what's left
  7. toast — bread
  8. root — the cause
  9. spring — the season
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mate — to breed
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. root — of a word
  17. mate — a partner
  18. rest — a break
  19. spring — a coil
  20. root — of a plant
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. date — the fruit
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. rest — what's left

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