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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rule — government
  4. pass — a permit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. fine — all right
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bound — obliged
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bound — certain
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. fine — high quality
  18. rule — a law
  19. date — the fruit
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. prune — to trim
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bound — tied together
  24. fine — a penalty

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