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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: safe · date · pop · shower · face · squash · hand · bear

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. shower — to wash
  4. pop — music
  5. hand — in cards
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. hand — help
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — to visit
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bear — the animal
  14. date — the fruit
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bear — the animal
  17. squash — the sport
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — to point toward
  21. shower — rain
  22. face — part of the head
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. date — on the calendar

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