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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bound — certain
  4. swing — music
  5. tear — from crying
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. swing — in golf
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. suit — to fit
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bound — tied together
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bound — obliged
  19. plane — a tool
  20. rule — a law
  21. suit — clothes
  22. rule — government
  23. tear — from crying
  24. dip — to sink

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