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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: date · leaves · jam · spring · safe · cell · pass · mate

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. mate — to breed
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. cell — in biology
  7. spring — the season
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. spring — a coil
  14. cell — a phone
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. spring — of water
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. mate — a friend
  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