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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: date · present · straw · rock · fall · key · perch · bulb

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. key — for a lock
  3. date — the fruit
  4. rock — music
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. key — in music
  7. bulb — for light
  8. present — there
  9. fall — to drop
  10. present — a gift
  11. key — the most important part
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fall — to drop
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. present — the time now
  24. fall — the season

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