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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: bound · track · date · chest · saw · straw · dip · mouse

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. track — a path
  6. dip — to sink
  7. chest — of your body
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. track — to keep track
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. chest — a box
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. track — a song
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bound — certain
  17. chest — of your body
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. saw — the tool

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