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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 · sharp · bear · file · pass · bay · rule · row

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  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. sharp — clever
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rule — government
  15. row — a line
  16. file — a tool
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. file — a document
  19. row — to paddle
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. rule — a law
  23. date — on the calendar
  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