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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: straw · shower · stand · date · toast · perch · key · rule

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. rule — a law
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. shower — rain
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rule — government
  14. date — the fruit
  15. perch — the fish
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. key — in music
  21. toast — bread
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — to wash
  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