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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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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 · cold · fine · bear · date · rule · jam · mate

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. mate — to breed
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. mate — a friend
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bear — the animal
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. rule — a law
  15. bear — the animal
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. mate — a partner
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cold — not warm
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — to rule out
  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