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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.

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: chest · bear · cold · spring · pass · charge · date · hand

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. spring — of water
  3. hand — in cards
  4. chest — of your body
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. cold — not warm
  10. charge — a price
  11. pass — a permit
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. charge — in control
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. spring — a coil
  18. chest — of your body
  19. cold — an illness
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bear — the animal
  23. hand — help
  24. spring — the season

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