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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: date · tear · bore · straw · stock · hand · coach · rush

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. date — the fruit
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. stock — shares
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. tear — to rip
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. hand — help
  16. stock — goods
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bore — to tire
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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