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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
468
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: date · bat · ruler · present · stand · season · rule · rush

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. season — of the year
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. present — a gift
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bat — the animal
  12. rule — a law
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. present — the time now
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. date — the fruit
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — to bear
  22. season — in sport
  23. present — there
  24. rush — hurry

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