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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
468
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: stem · leaves · board · mate · date · prune · drill · squash

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. mate — a friend
  3. squash — the sport
  4. mate — a partner
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. mate — to breed
  10. date — the fruit
  11. board — to get on
  12. prune — to trim
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stem — to come from
  20. board — a committee
  21. squash — to crush
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — the tool

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