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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 · fork · mate · face · kid · wave · land · safe

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  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. land — to come down
  2. kid — to tease
  3. land — a country
  4. season — in sport
  5. face — part of the head
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. face — to confront
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. land — ground
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. face — to point toward
  13. mate — a friend
  14. kid — child
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. season — of the year
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  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