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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. charge — electricity
  3. squash — to crush
  4. charge — a price
  5. spring — a coil
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. spring — the season
  8. deal — to handle
  9. can — a tin
  10. degree — from a university
  11. fall — to drop
  12. degree — an amount
  13. fall — to drop
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. spring — of water
  18. fall — the season
  19. charge — in control
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. degree — temperature
  22. can — to be able to
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. squash — the sport

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