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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
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: date · straw · pitch · cabinet · coach · spell · bear · face

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pitch — completely
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. face — part of the head
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. date — the fruit
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — letters
  12. face — to confront
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bear — the animal
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. face — to point toward
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. spell — magic
  24. cabinet — ministers

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