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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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Word bank
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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: last · date · kick · rule · leaves · ruler

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. kick — in football
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. rule — a law
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. last — to go on
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. last — final
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. last — finally
  16. date — the fruit
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. kick — a thrill

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