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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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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 · saw · sharp · pass · fine · patient · prune · clip

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. clip — for paper
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fine — all right
  5. charge — a price
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. saw — the tool
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. clip — a video
  12. charge — electricity
  13. sharp — clever
  14. charge — in control
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. clip — to cut
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. prune — to trim
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. fine — high quality
  24. prune — to trim

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