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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. pop — to visit
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. snap — to click
  6. degree — from a university
  7. rock — a stone
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — music
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. charge — in control
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. charge — a price
  19. degree — an amount
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. degree — temperature

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