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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: spell · staff · wave · bay · pit · rule · date · rest

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. spell — magic
  4. rule — a law
  5. spell — letters
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. staff — employees
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pit — a hole
  11. staff — a stick
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rule — government
  16. staff — employees
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. rest — a break
  21. pit — in a race
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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