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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: craft · mate · stick · date · object · prune · stem · spell

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. stem — to come from
  3. date — the fruit
  4. mate — a partner
  5. craft — a skill
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. spell — magic
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mate — to breed
  15. spell — a short time
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. object — to protest
  18. craft — boats
  19. prune — to trim
  20. spell — letters
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. prune — to trim
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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