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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bat — the animal
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. date — the fruit
  12. charge — in control
  13. mate — to breed
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rule — government
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. charge — a price
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rule — a law

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