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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. date — the fruit
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bound — obliged
  7. fine — all right
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. fine — high quality
  12. charge — electricity
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bound — certain
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. bound — tied together
  24. hide — animal skin

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