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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. cap — a hat
  6. spell — magic
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. fine — all right
  10. rest — a break
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. fine — high quality
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — letters
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. toast — bread
  21. date — the fruit
  22. cue — a signal
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. cap — a lid

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