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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mate — a friend
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pound — a weight
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. chest — of your body
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. mate — to breed
  13. date — the fruit
  14. rule — government
  15. mate — a partner
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. rule — a law
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. chest — a box
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chest — of your body
  24. foot — a measure

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