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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. charge — a price
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. charge — in control
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. firm — a company
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. lie — to recline
  12. charge — electricity
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. firm — decided
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. firm — steady
  22. pass — a permit
  23. wake — a trail
  24. drill — the tool

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