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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. cue — a hint
  8. swing — to play on
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. shower — to wash
  11. rule — a law
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cue — for pool
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. swing — music
  17. club — for dancing
  18. rule — government
  19. kick — in football
  20. cue — a signal
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — rain
  24. swing — in golf

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