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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: charge · lie · prune · pass · stand · march · tear · arm

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. charge — in control
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — a price
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. march — the month
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stand — to bear
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. pass — a permit
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. prune — to trim
  24. march — the month

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