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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
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: cabinet · rush · toast · season · cap · snap · date · straw

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. cap — a hat
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. season — of the year
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. cap — a lid
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. snap — to click
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. season — in sport
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. cap — of ice
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. rush — hurry

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