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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bound — obliged
  7. rush — hurry
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. craft — boats
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bound — certain
  13. pop — to visit
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pop — soda
  17. bound — tied together
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pound — a weight
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. pop — music

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