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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: date · fine · current · rest · toast · straw · safe · kid

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. current — electric
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. current — of water
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — to tease
  7. rest — a break
  8. fine — all right
  9. rest — what's left
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. current — happening now
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. date — the fruit
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — high quality
  22. rest — what's left
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. safe — a strongbox

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