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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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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: kick · charge · tear · mark · staff · mate

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mate — a partner
  3. tear — from crying
  4. charge — electricity
  5. mate — to breed
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. staff — employees
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. charge — a price
  12. kick — in football
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mark — a grade
  16. tear — to rip
  17. charge — in control
  18. mark — to pay attention

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