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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: rule · fan · track · lash · kick · date · swing · cabinet

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rule — a law
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. swing — to play on
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. swing — music
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rule — government
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. track — a song
  16. track — to keep track
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — in football
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. date — the fruit
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. swing — in golf
  24. track — a path

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