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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. date — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wind — moving air
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. wind — moving air
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. firm — decided
  10. mug — a cup
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. mug — a face
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — steady
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mug — to rob
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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