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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · fan · cell · chair · bore · rule · rush · date

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. cell — in biology
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. rule — government
  17. rush — hurry
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. chair — a leader
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rule — a law
  24. arm — part of the body

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