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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: march · tear · patient · nail · mate · bass · charge · bear

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. tear — from crying
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — to breed
  7. march — music
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. charge — electricity
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. charge — in control
  12. bass — low music
  13. march — the month
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. charge — a price
  17. march — the month
  18. tear — from crying
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. tear — to rip
  24. nail — on a finger

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