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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 · safe · lie · tear · rule · racket

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — government
  4. tear — from crying
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lie — to recline
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. tear — to rip
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. racket — for tennis

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