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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 · toast · bound · charge · dip · straw · date · sharp

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. toast — bread
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bound — obliged
  9. dip — to sink
  10. deal — to handle
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bound — certain
  14. sharp — clever
  15. charge — electricity
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bound — tied together
  18. charge — a price
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. deal — an agreement

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