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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. kick — in football
  5. charge — in control
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a line of people
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bear — the animal
  13. date — the fruit
  14. pitch — completely
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. file — a tool
  19. fall — to drop
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pitch — a sports field

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