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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 116 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — a permit
  3. rash — a series
  4. charge — electricity
  5. net — after costs
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. charge — in control
  10. net — in sport
  11. tear — from crying
  12. can — to be able to
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — hasty
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. net — for catching
  19. lie — to recline
  20. charge — a price
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pass — to spend time

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