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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · dip · pit · season · date · straw · ruler · march

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — a series
  4. date — the fruit
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. march — music
  7. dip — to sink
  8. march — the month
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rash — hasty
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. season — of the year
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. season — in sport
  20. march — the month
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. straw — a straw man

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