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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: date · last · bay · bound · stand · cabinet · prune · perch

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bound — certain
  5. stand — to bear
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. last — finally
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bound — obliged
  11. last — final
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. date — the fruit
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. last — to go on
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bound — tied together

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