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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: fork · date · mug · face · cue · temple · rule · stick

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. mug — a cup
  5. face — to confront
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. date — the fruit
  10. fork — in a road
  11. mug — to rob
  12. face — part of the head
  13. cue — for pool
  14. mug — a face
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rule — government
  17. cue — a hint
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. face — to point toward
  23. cue — a signal
  24. temple — a place of worship

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