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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: cap · saw · content · bowl · bound · date · rule · lash

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. cap — a lid
  3. content — the amount
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bound — certain
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bound — obliged
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. rule — a law
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. content — happy
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. saw — the tool
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. rule — government

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