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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. charge — a price
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rule — government
  9. degree — an amount
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — electricity
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rule — a law
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. degree — temperature
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. shower — to wash
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. shower — rain
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. lash — an eyelash

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