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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. charge — in control
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. suit — in cards
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. land — ground
  7. march — music
  8. rock — music
  9. land — to come down
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rock — a stone
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. suit — to fit
  14. charge — electricity
  15. fine — all right
  16. march — the month
  17. tear — to rip
  18. land — a country
  19. tear — from crying
  20. suit — clothes
  21. charge — a price
  22. tear — from crying
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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