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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bank — of a river
  5. club — a group
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. date — the fruit
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. wind — moving air
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mate — a partner
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bank — for money
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mate — a friend
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. row — a line
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bank — for money

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