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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · lie · leaves · date · scale · charge · stick · pitcher

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. scale — size or range
  6. charge — a price
  7. lie — to recline
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. scale — in music
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mate — a partner
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. charge — in control
  23. date — the fruit
  24. leaves — of a tree

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