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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. firm — steady
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — the fruit
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. land — ground
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. rule — government
  12. content — the amount
  13. stem — to come from
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. content — happy
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. firm — decided
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. land — a country
  23. rule — a law
  24. firm — a company

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