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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · hide · rest · bear · safe · hand · date · dip

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. field — for sport
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bear — the animal
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. dip — to sink
  12. field — farmland
  13. rest — a break
  14. field — a subject
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bear — the animal
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rest — what's left
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. rest — what's left

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