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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. firm — decided
  3. staff — a stick
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. firm — steady
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mark — a grade
  10. rest — what's left
  11. staff — employees
  12. date — the fruit
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — a match
  15. rest — a break
  16. fall — the season
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. firm — a company
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rule — government
  21. staff — employees
  22. rule — a law
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rest — what's left

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