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

Word bank: date · rest · ground · charge · prune · fall · deal · dip

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. ground — a position
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. charge — electricity
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fall — to drop
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. ground — crushed
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. ground — the earth
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. charge — in control
  18. fall — to drop
  19. date — the fruit
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. charge — a price
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rest — what's left

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