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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. kid — to tease
  4. date — the fruit
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — decided
  8. rule — government
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. scale — in music
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. firm — steady
  13. rule — a law
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. content — happy
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. content — the amount
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. kid — child
  24. rule — to rule out

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