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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: shower · toast · foot · rule · hide · date · bore · lie

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bore — to tire
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. toast — bread
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. lie — to recline
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — government
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. shower — rain
  24. foot — a measure

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