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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.

Make a worksheet

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: fall · wound · current · bay · date · bat · can · safe

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. date — the fruit
  3. fall — to drop
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bat — the animal
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. fall — the season
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. current — electric
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. fall — to drop
  23. current — of water
  24. current — happening now

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