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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. rule — a law
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — a phone
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. pass — a permit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. rule — government
  21. tear — to rip
  22. date — the fruit
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bowl — a dish

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