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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: straw · bowl · wind · object · mine · date · cabinet · track

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. track — to keep track
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — an aim
  17. date — the fruit
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. track — a path
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. mine — for digging
  23. wind — moving air
  24. track — a song

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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