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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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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: present · date · tear · suit · key · stick · straw · safe

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. tear — to rip
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. tear — from crying
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. present — the time now
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. suit — clothes
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. key — the most important part
  13. suit — to fit
  14. key — for a lock
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. suit — in cards
  20. key — in music
  21. present — there
  22. date — the fruit
  23. present — a gift
  24. straw — a straw man

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