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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: bear · date · safe · last · temple · arm · cabinet · plane

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. last — finally
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. last — final
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. last — to go on
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. date — the fruit
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. temple — side of the head

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