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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: date · lie · trunk · cabinet · rush · rock · rash · rule

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rash — hasty
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rash — a series
  8. rush — hurry
  9. date — the fruit
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. rule — government
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rule — a law
  22. rock — music
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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