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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rule · date · fan · leaves · tube · bear · wake · foot

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bear — the animal
  5. date — the fruit
  6. tube — the underground
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. wake — a trail
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. rule — a law
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. tube — a container
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. rule — government
  24. foot — part of the body

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