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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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Word bank
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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: dip · cold · date · bound · bowl · shower · toast · rule

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rule — government
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. shower — rain
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. shower — to wash
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. rule — a law
  15. cold — not warm
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bound — certain
  18. dip — to sink
  19. toast — bread
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. cold — an illness
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. dip — a sauce

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