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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: dip · cabinet · kid · date · bound · leaves · charge · fine

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bound — obliged
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bound — tied together
  10. kid — child
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. fine — all right
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bound — certain
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. dip — to sink
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — a price
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. dip — a sauce

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