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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rock — a stone
  5. toast — bread
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. spell — magic
  9. date — the fruit
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. file — a tool
  13. rule — government
  14. rush — hurry
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. rock — music
  17. rule — a law
  18. spell — letters
  19. file — a document
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. file — a line of people

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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