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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
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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: mug · safe · fine · cold · present · land · foot · date

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — the time now
  7. mug — to rob
  8. land — ground
  9. fine — all right
  10. present — there
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cold — an illness
  13. mug — a face
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. land — a country
  16. cold — not warm
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. land — to come down
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. foot — a measure
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. date — the fruit
  23. mug — a cup
  24. fine — high quality

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