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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: bay · wound · charge · net · date · bear · safe · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — after costs
  4. mate — to breed
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. charge — in control
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. date — the fruit
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bear — the animal
  16. charge — a price
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. charge — electricity
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. net — in sport
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wound — an injury

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