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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: bore · dip · shower · present · charge · date · land · mate

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. date — the fruit
  6. mate — to breed
  7. land — to come down
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. shower — rain
  10. present — there
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bore — to tire
  13. charge — in control
  14. dip — to sink
  15. land — a country
  16. shower — to wash
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. charge — a price
  19. land — ground
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mate — a partner
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. mate — a friend
  24. present — a gift

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