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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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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: spring · lie · charge · bank · spell · date · band · cap

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bank — for money
  4. spring — a coil
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. date — the fruit
  9. spring — of water
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — letters
  12. band — a music group
  13. spell — magic
  14. band — a ring
  15. bank — for money
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bank — of a river
  18. charge — in control
  19. cap — a hat
  20. spring — the season
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. cap — of ice
  23. lie — to recline
  24. band — a rubber band

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