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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: pit · date · last · clip · charge · tube · present · lie

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. tube — a container
  3. last — final
  4. clip — a video
  5. lie — to recline
  6. clip — for paper
  7. present — a gift
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. last — finally
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. pit — a hole
  15. charge — a price
  16. last — to go on
  17. charge — in control
  18. present — there
  19. charge — electricity
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. clip — to cut
  22. pit — in a race
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. date — on the calendar

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