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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: can · land · safe · rock · date · rash · band · lean

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. land — a country
  4. date — the fruit
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lean — thin
  7. can — a tin
  8. rash — a series
  9. lean — to bend
  10. can — to be able to
  11. band — a ring
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. land — to come down
  16. rash — hasty
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. band — a music group
  22. can — a tin
  23. land — ground
  24. rash — on the skin

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