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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. firm — decided
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. spell — a short time
  8. rash — hasty
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. spell — letters
  11. firm — steady
  12. rule — government
  13. rash — a series
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. chip — to eat
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. date — the fruit
  19. vault — a safe
  20. rule — a law
  21. spell — magic
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. firm — a company
  24. lash — an eyelash

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