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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 · date · mine · file · present · lash · charge · bay

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — electricity
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. file — a document
  10. date — the fruit
  11. charge — in control
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. file — a tool
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. present — there
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. present — a gift
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. file — a line of people
  21. mine — for digging
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. deal — to handle
  24. present — the time now

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