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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. prune — to trim
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. prune — to trim
  13. deal — to handle
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. mark — a grade
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. mark — a trace
  22. tear — to rip
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cabinet — ministers

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