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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 116 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: can · saw · tear · last · content · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. can — to be able to
  3. charge — electricity
  4. saw — the tool
  5. last — final
  6. can — a tin
  7. content — the amount
  8. saw — the tool
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. charge — in control
  11. content — happy
  12. last — finally
  13. tear — to rip
  14. can — a tin
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. last — to go on
  18. saw — past of 'see'

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