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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. foot — a measure
  7. clip — to cut
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. hand — in cards
  10. rule — a law
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rule — government
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. clip — for paper
  20. net — in sport
  21. file — a document
  22. lie — to recline
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. clip — a video

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