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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: present · face · date · march · shower · safe · track · net

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. face — to confront
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. present — the time now
  5. date — the fruit
  6. march — the month
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. march — the month
  9. track — to keep track
  10. shower — to wash
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. track — a song
  14. shower — rain
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. face — to point toward
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. track — a path
  20. net — after costs
  21. march — music
  22. present — a gift
  23. face — part of the head
  24. present — there

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