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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · toast · racket · rash · charge · field · lean

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. charge — electricity
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. lean — thin
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. charge — a price
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. toast — bread
  12. field — farmland
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. charge — in control
  15. field — a subject
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rash — hasty
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. field — for sport
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rash — a series
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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