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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bass — the fish
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bass — low music
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. toast — bread
  11. roll — a cake
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. roll — a list
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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