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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: mouse · object · mate · saw · hide · pit · date · bank

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bank — of a river
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. mate — to breed
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bank — for money
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mate — a friend
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. object — to protest
  16. date — the fruit
  17. saw — the tool
  18. object — a thing
  19. bank — for money
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — in a race
  23. object — an aim
  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