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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
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: date · field · tube · lean · safe · straw · present · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. suit — in cards
  5. lean — to bend
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. suit — to fit
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. field — for sport
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. field — a subject
  14. lean — thin
  15. tube — the underground
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. date — the fruit
  18. present — there
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. present — a gift
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. present — the time now
  24. field — farmland

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