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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. date — the fruit
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. firm — decided
  6. face — to confront
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. face — part of the head
  10. cap — a hat
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rule — government
  13. cap — of ice
  14. firm — steady
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. firm — a company
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. face — to point toward
  20. cap — a lid
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rule — a law

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