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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: date · stem · dip · suit · bear · straw · mug · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. suit — clothes
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. season — in sport
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. dip — to sink
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mug — a cup
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. mug — a face
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. stem — to come from
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bear — the animal
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. mug — to rob
  22. season — of the year
  23. bear — the animal
  24. date — the fruit

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