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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: mate · lie · date · bat · chest · toast · dip · safe

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. dip — to sink
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. mate — a partner
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. toast — bread
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bat — the animal
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. mate — a friend
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. date — the fruit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. safe — a strongbox

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