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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: leaves · pop · board · bore · date · mate · deal · fall

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — to visit
  3. fall — to drop
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bore — to drill
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. board — a committee
  9. mate — a partner
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bore — to tire
  13. fall — to drop
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. mate — a friend
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. fall — the season
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. board — to get on
  20. pop — music
  21. mate — to breed
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. leaves — to go away

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