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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: mug · charge · mine · club · patient · tear · drill · land

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. drill — army training
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. charge — in control
  7. mug — a cup
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. club — for dancing
  10. land — to come down
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. tear — from crying
  14. land — a country
  15. mine — for digging
  16. club — for golf
  17. tear — to rip
  18. land — ground
  19. mug — to rob
  20. drill — the tool
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. mug — a face
  23. club — a group
  24. drill — a practice

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