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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: land · mate · season · present · spell · lie · charge · track

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — a friend
  3. track — to keep track
  4. spell — a short time
  5. season — of the year
  6. charge — in control
  7. land — to come down
  8. present — a gift
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. charge — electricity
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — there
  14. lie — to recline
  15. track — a path
  16. land — a country
  17. spell — letters
  18. mate — to breed
  19. season — in sport
  20. land — ground
  21. charge — a price
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. track — a song
  24. spell — magic

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