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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: mate · mark · safe · jam · land · rush · craft · toast

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. land — ground
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. craft — boats
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. land — to come down
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. craft — a skill
  12. land — a country
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mark — a grade
  16. toast — bread
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mark — a trace
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. mate — a friend

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