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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. spring — of water
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. spring — a coil
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. degree — from a university
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. charge — in control
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. branch — a division
  15. cue — a signal
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. cue — a hint
  18. spring — the season
  19. cue — for pool
  20. degree — temperature
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. charge — a price
  23. rush — hurry
  24. charge — electricity

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