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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
468
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: hide · suit · cell · roll · field · date · mate · fan

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cell — in biology
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — in cards
  8. mate — a friend
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. roll — a list
  12. field — for sport
  13. date — the fruit
  14. cell — a phone
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mate — to breed
  17. suit — to fit
  18. field — a subject
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — on a roll
  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