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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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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: bound · charge · wake · bulb · pass · tear · nail · mate

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. charge — a price
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — tied together
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mate — to breed
  10. charge — in control
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pass — a permit
  15. charge — electricity
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bound — certain
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. tear — from crying
  24. wake — before a funeral

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