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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 · rash · season · charge · nail · scale · row · straw

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. charge — electricity
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. date — the fruit
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. row — a line
  11. row — to paddle
  12. season — in sport
  13. charge — in control
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — hasty
  17. charge — a price
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. scale — in music
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. scale — size or range

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