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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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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 · safe · toast · rest · net · ground · date · wound

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rest — a break
  8. date — the fruit
  9. net — after costs
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. net — in sport
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. ground — the earth
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — a position
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rest — what's left
  22. toast — bread
  23. wound — an injury
  24. net — for catching

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