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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. fall — the season
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. fine — all right
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. charge — in control
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — from a university
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. fall — to drop
  17. degree — an amount
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rush — hurry
  20. face — to point toward
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. fine — high quality
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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