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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: squash · tear · patient · bore · bass · rash · charge · clip

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bass — the fish
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. squash — to crush
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. clip — to cut
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rash — hasty
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — in control
  12. tear — to rip
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bore — to tire
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. clip — a video
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. tear — from crying
  22. charge — a price
  23. clip — for paper
  24. patient — a sick person

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