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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: rush · present · date · bear · toast · chest · rule · deal

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. toast — bread
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. chest — a box
  5. bear — the animal
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. present — there
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rule — government
  10. chest — of your body
  11. present — a gift
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. deal — to handle
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. present — the time now
  22. date — the fruit
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rule — a law

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