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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: rash · hand · roll · bay · date · rule · suit · mark

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. roll — a list
  3. hand — in cards
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rule — a law
  6. hand — help
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. mark — a trace
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. suit — clothes
  13. rule — government
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a cake
  21. mark — a grade
  22. rash — hasty
  23. date — the fruit
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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