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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: date · safe · season · mug · spring · craft · trunk · mate

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. spring — a coil
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — the fruit
  6. craft — a skill
  7. mug — a cup
  8. season — of the year
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a friend
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. mug — a face
  13. spring — the season
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. craft — boats
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mate — a partner
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. season — in sport
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. mug — to rob
  24. craft — a handicraft

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