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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. date — the fruit
  3. suit — in cards
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. face — to point toward
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. suit — clothes
  8. spell — magic
  9. land — a country
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a line of people
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. land — ground
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. land — to come down
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. face — to confront
  19. stand — to bear
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. face — part of the head
  22. spell — a short time
  23. file — a tool
  24. suit — to fit

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