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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 120 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pass — a permit
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. charge — electricity
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. prune — to trim
  9. kick — in football
  10. scale — in music
  11. charge — in control
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. cap — a lid
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. scale — size or range
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. tear — from crying
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — of ice
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. prune — to trim
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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