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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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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: safe · date · sharp · deal · spring · tube · bark · mate

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  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. bark — to shout
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. tube — the underground
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. spring — the season
  13. tube — a container
  14. spring — of water
  15. mate — a friend
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. mate — to breed
  22. sharp — clever
  23. spring — a coil
  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