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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: track · bowl · tear · date · rush · safe · fine · nail

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — all right
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. tear — from crying
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. track — to keep track
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. track — a song
  14. rush — hurry
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. tear — from crying
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. track — a path
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. date — the fruit
  24. tear — to rip

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