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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. date — the fruit
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — there
  6. squash — to crush
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. present — a gift
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. squash — the sport
  12. kick — in football
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. wind — moving air
  15. field — a subject
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. field — farmland
  20. bank — for money
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. field — for sport
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. kick — a thrill

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