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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: charge · bulb · arm · bear · branch · pass · can · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bear — the animal
  3. can — a tin
  4. bulb — for light
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — a price
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. can — a tin
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pass — a permit
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. branch — a division
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bulb — for light
  19. can — to be able to
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bear — the animal
  22. charge — in control
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. arm — part of the body

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