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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wind — moving air
  5. charge — electricity
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. track — to keep track
  10. degree — an amount
  11. wind — moving air
  12. foot — a measure
  13. lean — to bend
  14. can — a tin
  15. charge — in control
  16. can — a tin
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. track — a song
  19. degree — temperature
  20. track — a path
  21. charge — a price
  22. lean — thin
  23. degree — from a university
  24. lean — to rest against

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