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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: season · rest · safe · mug · race · date · face · pit

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. mug — a cup
  4. rest — a break
  5. face — to point toward
  6. date — the fruit
  7. pit — in a race
  8. race — the arms race
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pit — a hole
  13. rest — what's left
  14. season — of the year
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — a contest
  20. mug — to rob
  21. season — in sport
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mug — a face

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