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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: last · jam · date · bear · snap · charge · pass · arm

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. date — the fruit
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pass — a permit
  14. last — final
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bear — the animal
  17. last — finally
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. snap — to click
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. charge — in control

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