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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · press · charge · bulb · pass · tear

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. tear — to rip
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. press — newspapers
  6. charge — electricity
  7. tear — from crying
  8. press — to push
  9. press — a publisher
  10. mate — to breed
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mate — a friend
  18. charge — a price

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