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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: lie · nail · date · deal · rule · root · fork · arm

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. fork — in a road
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rule — a law
  6. root — of a plant
  7. rule — government
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — to handle
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. root — the cause
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. date — the fruit
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. root — of a word
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lie — to recline

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