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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: deal · bay · temple · season · mouse · date · plane · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rule — government
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. season — in sport
  14. deal — to handle
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. season — of the year
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. plane — a tool
  24. deal — an agreement

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