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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: shower · date · leaves · squash · safe · track · season · dip

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. date — the fruit
  3. season — in sport
  4. dip — to sink
  5. track — a song
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. shower — to wash
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. squash — the sport
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. squash — to crush
  20. shower — rain
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. season — of the year
  23. track — a path
  24. safe — out of danger

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