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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. cue — a hint
  6. fall — to drop
  7. season — in sport
  8. rule — government
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rule — a law
  11. tear — from crying
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. season — of the year
  18. tear — to rip
  19. fall — the season
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. date — the fruit
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wax — in the ear

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