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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. spell — magic
  3. bore — to tire
  4. face — part of the head
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rule — a law
  7. face — to confront
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rule — government
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. spell — letters
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. face — to point toward
  20. spell — a short time
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bore — to drill

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