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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.

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: bear · tear · march · lash · tube · nail · charge · jam

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bear — the animal
  4. charge — a price
  5. march — music
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. tube — a container
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. march — the month
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. tear — from crying
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bear — the animal
  17. march — the month
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. charge — in control
  23. tear — from crying
  24. jam — in traffic

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