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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: bore · safe · pound · mate · mine · wave · date · perch

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mate — a partner
  17. date — the fruit
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. perch — for a bird

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