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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: rash · date · mate · leaves · saw · mug · ground · safe

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mug — to rob
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ground — a position
  5. mate — to breed
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. mug — a face
  8. date — the fruit
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ground — the earth
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. ground — crushed
  15. saw — the tool
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. mate — a partner
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mate — a friend
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — of a tree

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