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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  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. straw — dry grass
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. date — the fruit
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. squash — the sport
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pit — a hole
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. tear — to rip
  20. squash — to crush
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pitch — completely
  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