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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 120 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 · mate · suit · saw · hand · fine · charge · row

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — in cards
  4. tear — to rip
  5. mate — a friend
  6. row — to paddle
  7. charge — in control
  8. row — a line
  9. charge — a price
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. fine — high quality
  12. tear — from crying
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fine — all right
  15. tear — from crying
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. charge — electricity
  19. mate — a partner
  20. suit — clothes
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. mate — to breed
  23. saw — the tool
  24. hand — help

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