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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. charge — electricity
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — temperature
  17. wound — an injury
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. degree — from a university
  20. charge — in control
  21. fall — to drop
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. charge — a price
  24. saw — the tool

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