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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rule — government
  7. spell — letters
  8. present — there
  9. present — the time now
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. spell — magic
  12. rule — a law
  13. fork — in a road
  14. perch — the fish
  15. present — a gift
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. spell — a short time
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — to eat with

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