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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: wave · date · safe · kick · row · wind · net · foot

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. net — in sport
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. date — the fruit
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. foot — a measure
  11. net — after costs
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. row — to paddle
  14. net — for catching
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. wind — moving air
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. kick — in football
  24. row — a line

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