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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · perch · dip · stand · cabinet · straw · rash · mine

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mine — for digging
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. perch — the fish
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. stand — to bear
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. dip — to sink
  24. stand — on your feet

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