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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · file · rest · nail · field · date · dip · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. field — farmland
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. file — a line of people
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. dip — to sink
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. field — for sport
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. file — a document
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. file — a tool
  15. rest — what's left
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. field — a subject
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rest — a break
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rest — what's left

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