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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. track — a path
  4. suit — in cards
  5. track — a song
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. date — the fruit
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. cap — a lid
  13. plane — a tool
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. track — to keep track
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. cap — a hat
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. suit — clothes
  21. cap — of ice
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. suit — to fit
  24. date — on the calendar

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