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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: mate · safe · stem · leaves · pound · bark · rash · date

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rash — hasty
  5. stem — to come from
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. mate — a partner
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. mate — to breed
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rash — a series
  22. date — the fruit
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. safe — out of danger

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