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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. degree — temperature
  4. chest — a box
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. charge — a price
  7. degree — from a university
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. charge — in control
  11. season — of the year
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. chest — of your body
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. chest — of your body
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. season — in sport
  19. charge — electricity
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. degree — an amount
  24. mug — a cup

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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