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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: date · toast · tear · bay · rule · lie

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — a law
  4. tear — to rip
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. lie — to recline
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. tear — from crying
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rule — government
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. date — the fruit
  17. tear — from crying
  18. toast — the most admired

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