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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 116 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. tear — from crying
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — a price
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rush — hurry
  8. stem — to come from
  9. tear — to rip
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. object — a thing
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — a cup
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. degree — from a university
  17. tear — from crying
  18. object — to protest
  19. vault — a safe
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. mug — to rob
  22. degree — an amount
  23. object — an aim
  24. charge — electricity

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