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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 a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. charge — in control
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bound — tied together
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bound — obliged
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pass — a permit
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. fall — to drop
  15. kid — to tease
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. charge — a price
  19. bound — certain
  20. fall — the season
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. kid — child
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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