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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: tear · wave · charge · track · bulb · rule · tube · bark

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. track — a song
  3. rule — government
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — electricity
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tear — to rip
  9. charge — a price
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tube — a container
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bark — to shout
  16. track — a path
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. rule — a law

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