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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. prune — to trim
  8. date — the fruit
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. rule — a law
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — music
  17. kick — in football
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. prune — to trim
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. pop — to visit

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