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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. lean — thin
  3. bound — obliged
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bank — for money
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bank — for money
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. kid — to tease
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. hand — help
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — certain
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bank — of a river
  23. kid — child
  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