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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. date — the fruit
  3. present — there
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. charge — in control
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. hand — help
  8. file — a tool
  9. rest — what's left
  10. file — a document
  11. rest — what's left
  12. present — the time now
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. charge — a price
  16. prune — to trim
  17. file — a line of people
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rest — a break
  20. prune — to trim
  21. charge — electricity
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. present — a gift

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