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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. rule — a law
  10. season — in sport
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. sharp — clever
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. season — of the year
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rule — government

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