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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bulb — for light
  4. charge — a price
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — electricity
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mate — to breed
  10. press — newspapers
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mark — a trace
  13. tear — from crying
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bulb — for light
  16. press — to push
  17. mate — a partner
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. mark — a grade
  20. branch — a division
  21. pass — a permit
  22. tear — to rip
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bulb — of a plant

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