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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: foot · mate · wax · bore · march · date · bank · spell

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. foot — a measure
  4. march — the month
  5. spell — a short time
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. mate — a partner
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. date — the fruit
  10. spell — magic
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bank — of a river
  13. spell — letters
  14. bank — for money
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. bore — to tire
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wax — to grow
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bank — for money
  24. mate — a friend

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