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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bank — for money
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. charge — in control
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. mark — a grade
  10. tear — from crying
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bank — for money
  13. bat — the animal
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. charge — electricity
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bat — for baseball

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