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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 · spring · firm · rule · lash · spell · bore · fine

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. rule — government
  3. spring — of water
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bore — to drill
  6. firm — steady
  7. fine — all right
  8. firm — a company
  9. date — the fruit
  10. spell — letters
  11. fine — high quality
  12. firm — decided
  13. spell — magic
  14. rule — a law
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. spell — a short time
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. date — on the calendar

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