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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: mark · date · pit · wind · plane · straw · pound · toast

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. mark — a grade
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. toast — bread
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. date — the fruit
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. plane — a tool
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pound — a weight
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pit — in a race
  24. straw — dry grass

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