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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: staff · fall · tear · charge · net · rush · fine · swing

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. charge — a price
  5. staff — employees
  6. fine — high quality
  7. staff — a stick
  8. swing — in golf
  9. fall — to drop
  10. staff — employees
  11. fall — to drop
  12. swing — music
  13. fall — the season
  14. swing — to play on
  15. net — in sport
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. rush — hurry
  19. net — after costs
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. charge — electricity
  22. net — for catching
  23. charge — in control
  24. fine — all right

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