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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: bore · lash · lean · staff · mate · date · mine · mark

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. staff — a stick
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mark — a trace
  6. staff — employees
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mine — for digging
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bore — to tire
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — a partner
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bore — to drill
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. lean — thin
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. mark — a grade
  24. staff — employees

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