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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. rock — a stone
  3. root — the cause
  4. charge — electricity
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wind — moving air
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — a price
  12. degree — an amount
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rock — music
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. degree — temperature
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. fall — the season
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. fall — to drop

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