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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 can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. charge — in control
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. degree — an amount
  9. object — to protest
  10. charge — a price
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. object — an aim
  15. lean — to bend
  16. row — a line
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. row — to paddle
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — temperature
  22. lean — thin
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. object — a thing

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