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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: last · date · mate · rest · ground · cabinet · shower · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. mate — to breed
  3. ground — a position
  4. date — the fruit
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bulb — for light
  7. last — to go on
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. mate — a friend
  10. ground — the earth
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. ground — crushed
  14. shower — to wash
  15. last — final
  16. rest — a break
  17. shower — rain
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rest — what's left
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bulb — for light
  22. last — finally
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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