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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 116 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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. charge — electricity
  7. degree — an amount
  8. press — to push
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. staff — employees
  11. mine — for digging
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. charge — in control
  16. staff — employees
  17. degree — temperature
  18. press — newspapers
  19. spring — of water
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. degree — from a university
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. charge — a price
  24. press — a publisher

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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