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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · saw · lie · charge · cap · fall · bear · date

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cap — a lid
  4. date — the fruit
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fall — to drop
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. cap — a hat
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fall — to drop
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cap — of ice
  20. deal — to handle
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. saw — the tool
  24. charge — electricity

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