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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. charge — electricity
  3. degree — from a university
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. rush — hurry
  6. roll — a cake
  7. face — to point toward
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. charge — in control
  10. row — a line
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — an amount
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. face — part of the head
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. face — to confront
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. charge — a price
  22. roll — a list
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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