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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
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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 · date · fine · straw · rash · net · land · deal

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. net — in sport
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. net — after costs
  11. fine — high quality
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. net — for catching
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. land — a country
  18. rash — hasty
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. rash — a series
  22. land — to come down
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. land — ground

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