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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · mate · rash · straw · mine · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rash — hasty
  3. mine — for digging
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. rash — a series
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mate — a friend
  14. date — the fruit
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. 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