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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. lean — to bend
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. fine — high quality
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. fall — to drop
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. spell — letters
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — a law
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. fine — all right
  16. spell — a short time
  17. lean — thin
  18. fall — to drop
  19. spell — magic
  20. kick — in football
  21. fall — the season
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. kick — with a leg

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