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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: ball · kid · mate · safe · wax · fork · bore · date

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. mate — to breed
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. kid — child
  6. mate — a partner
  7. ball — a dance
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bore — to drill
  10. ball — a great time
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. mate — a friend
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bore — to tire
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — to grow

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