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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
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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: mate · date · coach · spring · prune · calf · hide · spell

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mate — a partner
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. date — the fruit
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. spell — a short time
  11. prune — to trim
  12. spring — of water
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mate — a friend
  17. spell — letters
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. prune — to trim
  22. spring — a coil
  23. mate — to breed
  24. spell — magic

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