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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: bay · rule · straw · date · mug · bank · saw · dip

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. mug — to rob
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bank — for money
  5. mug — a cup
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rule — a law
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. mug — a face
  22. rule — government
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. saw — the tool

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