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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.

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: last · tear · charge · tube · staff · pass · hand · rush

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. staff — employees
  3. hand — help
  4. tear — from crying
  5. staff — employees
  6. hand — in cards
  7. charge — electricity
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. charge — a price
  12. tube — a container
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rush — hurry
  15. tube — the underground
  16. last — to go on
  17. charge — in control
  18. staff — a stick
  19. last — finally
  20. pass — a permit
  21. tear — to rip
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. last — final
  24. tube — in a tire

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