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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: wave · face · safe · rush · drill · racket · file · date

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. face — to confront
  6. drill — the tool
  7. file — a tool
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. drill — a practice
  11. date — the fruit
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rush — hurry
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. file — a document
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — part of the head
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. drill — army training
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. file — a line of people
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. safe — out of danger

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