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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. charge — electricity
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. kick — in football
  11. tube — a container
  12. rule — a law
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — a list
  17. rule — government
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. tube — the underground
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. kick — a thrill

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