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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. tear — from crying
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. rule — a law
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. firm — a company
  9. date — the fruit
  10. tear — to rip
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cell — in biology
  15. firm — decided
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. firm — steady
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. tear — from crying
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wake — a trail
  23. rule — government
  24. cell — a phone

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