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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: wind · leaves · deal · key · safe · craft · bat · date

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. key — in music
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bat — the animal
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. deal — to handle
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. key — for a lock
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. deal — an agreement

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