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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
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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: tube · shower · suit · rock · rest · date · field · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. shower — rain
  7. suit — clothes
  8. rest — a break
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. field — farmland
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rock — a stone
  13. mate — a partner
  14. rock — music
  15. tube — a container
  16. suit — to fit
  17. rest — what's left
  18. suit — in cards
  19. field — a subject
  20. mate — a friend
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. shower — to wash
  23. field — for sport
  24. date — the fruit

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