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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: safe · date · wind · row · nail · season · bulb · shower

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. date — the fruit
  3. row — a line
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. shower — rain
  7. wind — moving air
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wind — moving air
  10. season — of the year
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bulb — for light
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bulb — for light
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. row — to paddle
  22. shower — to wash
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — in sport

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