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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: mate · bound · date · cabinet · spell · pit · fall · charge

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pit — a hole
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bound — tied together
  5. fall — to drop
  6. spell — a short time
  7. mate — a friend
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bound — certain
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. mate — a partner
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. charge — electricity
  17. spell — letters
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — a price
  20. date — the fruit
  21. spell — magic
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bound — obliged

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