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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — a price
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. track — a song
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bear — the animal
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. charge — in control
  16. track — to keep track
  17. squash — to crush
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. track — a path
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bear — the animal
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. squash — the sport

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