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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — an amount
  8. charge — electricity
  9. board — to get on
  10. charge — a price
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. spring — a coil
  13. degree — from a university
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. spring — of water
  16. charge — in control
  17. board — a committee
  18. spring — the season
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. foot — a measure
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. shower — rain
  24. temple — side of the head

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