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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: face · prune · date · mine · patient · row · coach · safe

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. prune — to trim
  4. date — the fruit
  5. mine — for digging
  6. row — to paddle
  7. face — to point toward
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. face — to confront
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. prune — to trim
  16. face — part of the head
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. row — a line
  24. mine — belonging to me

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