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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 · date · wake · object · court · straw · fine · rash

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bear — the animal
  3. court — of law
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. fine — high quality
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bear — the animal
  12. object — to protest
  13. fine — all right
  14. court — of a king
  15. wake — a trail
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. date — the fruit
  19. rash — a series
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. rash — hasty
  22. object — an aim
  23. court — for sport
  24. object — a thing

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