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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: hide · rule · race · fine · bear · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. rule — government
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. race — the arms race
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bear — the animal
  8. race — a contest
  9. bear — the animal
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. rule — a law
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fine — all right
  18. race — humankind

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