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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: charge · stick · coach · patient · dip · tear · rush · pit

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rush — hurry
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. dip — to sink
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. pit — a hole
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — in control
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. tear — from crying

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