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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. charge — in control
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pass — a permit
  13. net — after costs
  14. kid — child
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. charge — a price
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. net — for catching
  23. bank — for money
  24. net — in sport

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