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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: sharp · bowl · fall · ruler · fan · date · cell · rule

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. cell — a phone
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. sharp — clever
  9. rule — government
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. rule — a law
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. fall — the season
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. cell — in biology
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. fall — to drop
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. sharp — with an edge

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