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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: march · safe · land · toast · calf · kick · shower · date

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. toast — bread
  4. land — to come down
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. shower — to wash
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. shower — rain
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. march — music
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. land — a country
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. date — the fruit
  24. land — ground

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