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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: mate · pop · bore · fall · bowl · date · stick · wound

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — a partner
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pop — soda
  11. date — the fruit
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pop — music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bore — to tire
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. pop — to visit
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bore — to drill

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