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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. drill — a practice
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. cap — a hat
  6. spring — of water
  7. rule — government
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. spring — a coil
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. spring — the season
  14. cap — of ice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. branch — a division
  17. drill — army training
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cap — a lid
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. rule — a law

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