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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. mark — a trace
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. cap — a hat
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. fine — high quality
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. cap — a lid
  14. mark — a grade
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — letters
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fine — all right
  19. rule — a law
  20. spell — magic
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. cap — of ice
  24. toast — bread

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