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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 · fan · lean · ball · prune · mate · vault · cabinet

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. prune — to trim
  6. date — the fruit
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. vault — a safe
  10. mate — to breed
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mate — a partner
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. lean — to bend
  19. ball — a dance
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. ball — a great time
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. prune — to trim
  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