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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 · saw · date · track · toast · straw · coach · prune

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. date — the fruit
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bound — tied together
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bound — obliged
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. track — to keep track
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. toast — bread
  12. saw — the tool
  13. track — a song
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. track — a path
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. prune — to trim
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bound — certain
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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