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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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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: bear · bore · hand · toast · suit · straw · bound · date

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. toast — bread
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bound — certain
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bore — to drill
  17. hand — in cards
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bound — obliged
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bear — to put up with

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