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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: land · date · lash · suit · wound · rule · net · fan

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. net — for catching
  3. land — to come down
  4. rule — government
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. suit — in cards
  8. land — a country
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. net — in sport
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. suit — to fit
  18. net — after costs
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — a law
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. land — ground

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