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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. degree — temperature
  6. wake — a trail
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. sharp — clever
  9. charge — a price
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. can — a tin
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — from a university
  15. charge — electricity
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. can — to be able to
  20. prune — to trim
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. can — a tin

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