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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: spell · rule · present · toast · tear · track · date · kid

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. present — a gift
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. tear — from crying
  5. present — the time now
  6. spell — a short time
  7. track — to keep track
  8. kid — to tease
  9. tear — from crying
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rule — government
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. spell — magic
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. present — there
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. spell — letters
  20. track — a path
  21. rule — a law
  22. toast — bread
  23. tear — to rip
  24. track — a song

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