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

Word bank: date · tear · bear · dip · cue · safe

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bear — the animal
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cue — a hint
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. tear — from crying
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. cue — for pool
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. dip — to sink

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