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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. charge — electricity
  4. degree — from a university
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. race — the arms race
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. degree — temperature
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. race — humankind
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chair — a leader
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. degree — an amount
  16. rush — hurry
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. race — a contest
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. charge — a price
  23. foot — a measure
  24. charge — in control

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