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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: staff · content · kick · wake · swing · safe · date · hand

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. swing — to play on
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. swing — music
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. wake — a trail
  10. staff — employees
  11. kick — in football
  12. hand — in cards
  13. content — happy
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. swing — in golf
  24. content — the amount

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