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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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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 · ruler · pass · mate · band · charge · bulb · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. band — a ring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bulb — for light
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. charge — in control
  10. mate — a partner
  11. charge — a price
  12. pass — a permit
  13. mate — to breed
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. charge — electricity
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bulb — for light

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