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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: date · safe · rush · season · land · stock · wave · shower

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. stock — goods
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. shower — to wash
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. rush — hurry
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. land — to come down
  12. stock — shares
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. shower — rain
  15. land — a country
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. land — ground
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. date — the fruit

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