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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: rule · wind · hide · deal · mate · date · pop · stand

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stand — to bear
  6. mate — a friend
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. mate — to breed
  9. pop — music
  10. rule — government
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. rule — a law
  14. deal — to handle
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mate — a partner
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pop — to visit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. pop — soda
  24. wind — moving air

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