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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: hide · rush · bay · stand · rule · date · hand · fork

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. rule — government
  4. hand — help
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rule — a law
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. fork — in a road
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. rush — hurry
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. hand — in cards
  24. date — the fruit

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