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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: fan · rock · snap · date · scale · straw · trunk · pass

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. scale — size or range
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. date — the fruit
  10. snap — to click
  11. pass — a permit
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rock — a stone
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. scale — in music
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. rock — music

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