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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 · roll · date · clip · stand · track · rash · last

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. date — the fruit
  4. last — final
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. last — to go on
  7. track — a path
  8. stand — to bear
  9. roll — a cake
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — to cut
  13. last — finally
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rash — a series
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. clip — a video
  20. track — a song
  21. rash — hasty
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. track — to keep track
  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