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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 · arm · bay · rush · bound · mate · bass · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bass — low music
  4. mate — a partner
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bound — obliged
  8. charge — in control
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bound — tied together
  11. date — the fruit
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bass — the fish
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mate — to breed
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bound — certain
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bass — the instrument

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