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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mug · roll · rule · cold · hide · lean · rash · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. cold — not warm
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — a law
  8. mug — a face
  9. cold — an illness
  10. lean — to bend
  11. roll — a cake
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. mug — a cup
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rule — government
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. lean — thin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. roll — a list
  23. date — the fruit
  24. mug — to rob

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